I Am Dragonborn
by Spiritslayer
Summary: Mia, the Dragonborn, and her partner, former Thalmor agent Adalla, embark on a journey to Solstheim after being attacked outside Windhelm. When they arrive, however, Mia is made painfully aware of her own shortcomings and weaknesses. Can she overcome them - and her haunting past - before the First Dragonborn returns to conquer Solstheim... or will her nightmares be her demise?
1. Chapter 1

_**Pre-Story A.N.** - First chapter of a new story is up! Woo! Let me know what you think of it! ^^ -Spiritslayer_

* * *

All was fairly quiet in Candlehearth Hall. The Thalmor blockade around Windhelm had been broken one month ago, and those who had been injured in the process were recovering or had since healed. Everyone had gone their separate ways already, both good and bad. Adalla had kept an ear out for information regarding Thellias and his former apprentice, but the only news she'd heard in that regard was that Saarie was now disgraced and trusted with nothing greater than guard duty back at Alinor.

Adalla and Mia had chosen to remain in Windhelm, and for good reason. They had both recovered from their own injuries, light though they'd been, and were preparing themselves for the delayed trip to Solstheim they'd been planning.

"I don't wanna go," Mia grumbled under her breath.

Adalla giggled and scratched Adima, her quickly-growing saber kitten, behind the ears. "Yet you're going to. _We're_ going to."

Mia gave the high elf a resigned look. "We still ain't ready, are we?"

"We still need supplies, if that's what you're asking." Adalla picked Adima up off her lap and held her up so she could nuzzle the saber kitten's nose affectionately.

"Like what? Food? Furs? Weapons? Arrows?"

"I like the direction 'supplies' is taking for you," she mused.

"When ya live in the wilds, ya gotta be ready for anythin'," Mia said defensively.

"I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying it's funny."

"When I bury an arrow in some deader's head, yer gonna be thankin' me," the woman grumbled.

They were both quiet for a time. Adalla was pondering her list of supplies. Although she was becoming proficient with the bow and arrow under Mia's careful guidance and lessons, she still vastly preferred using a mace and shield to fight. More than once, she'd taken the front lines while Mia fired arrows from afar; in her new clothing, the Altmer was far more mobile, as well, than she'd ever been in her elven armor. For her, 'supplies' meant 'food, potions and furs'. She knew Mia would focus on supplies for their ever-mobile camp - as well as arrows and other weapons, apparently.

"Hey, Adalla..." Mia's voice was quiet when she spoke. "We're... doin' the right thing, yeah?"

"Of course we are. What brought this on?"

"Well, I just..." She hesitated a moment. "Miraak's the storied 'First Dragonborn', ain't he? What if his return's for the good of Tamriel?"

"He tried to have you killed, Mia. You can't genuinely believe he has benevolence in mind." She set Adima down on her lap, and watched the saber kitten jump down from her lap and into Mia's lap. She smiled as the saber kitten pawed playfully at Mia's front.

"Yeh, true..."

"If you genuinely don't want to do this, let me know." Adalla's expression became serious.

"I don't wanna do this."

"Fine. Then stay behind; I'll go alone."

"Adalla-"

"I was dragged into this, Mia. I'm going to do all I can to resolve the matter... as much as _I_ can, anyway. I'm no Dragonborn, though..."

"Don't remind me," Mia grumbled quietly. "I ain't gonna let ya go alone, Mia. Ya said it yerself, outside Windhelm... we're partners. If we succeed, we succeed together; if we fall, we fall together."

"Then come with me, Mia. We will succeed together. Besides, he singled you out for a reason... you have a part to play in this. You alone may be a key to stopping him."

"Thanks for puttin' the pressure on me," she grumbled bitterly.

* * *

The next evening, Mia and Adalla met at the docks. They'd spent the day gathering their own supplies for the trip to Solstheim, and were both prepared for whatever may come.

"Yer travelin' light," Mia commented, gesturing to the knapsack that seemed to have ample space within it, slung over the mer's shoulder.

"You're traveling heavy," Adalla replied, nodding toward the large, bulging pack slung over Mia's shoulder; there was a woodcutter's axe crossing the pack, a torch at one side, and a cooking pot hanging from the other side. It wasn't a new sight for the high elf, but the bulge of the pack suggested it was stuffed to full, and possibly bursting.

"One of us gotta," she muttered. "Now, we gotta find us a ship t'Solstheim. What 'bout that Northern Maiden? Think it's here?"

"Probably. Come on, let's look around." She eyed the pack. "And for the love of the gods, let me lighten your load a little. I've got space in my pack for some of your things."

"We can deal with that on the ship." Mia's eyes flicked about the docks. "Hmm... Northern Maiden... Northern Maiden..."

"Is over there." A guard was listening in, and pointed them toward a large ship that looked as if it had been there for quite a while; snow was settled upon the ship, and the crew seemed to be performing only light maintenance on it.

"Thanks," Adalla said, nodding her head to the guard. She watched as Mia made her way toward the Northern Maiden, and sighed with a smile. "And to think, she was against this trip last night... perhaps she just wants to get it over with."

"You two... you helped break the blockade, yes?" The guard was peering at the mer closely. "Jarl Ulfric may never say it to either of you, but he's grateful for your help. All of us in Windhelm are. From the bottom of my own heart, I thank you." The guard bowed deeply to her.

"We were just doing what we knew to be right." Adalla was embarrassed to be treated so... respectfully... and in the city where Nord supremacy all but reigned supreme, no less.

"I won't keep you any longer. It looks as if your friend is... losing her temper." The guard pointed toward the Northern Maiden, and at Mia, who was now on the verge of shouting at the captain.

"Oh, no..." she groaned. She nodded to the guard, and rushed to the ship. "Mia!"

"...do you mean, ya ain't goin' back there no more?!" Mia was shouting at him now.

The captain looked more frustrated than terrified by the woman's shouting. "Exactly what I said."

"Mia, calm down!" Adalla said, resting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You're not helping the situation here..." She glanced at the captain. "You would be...?"

"Gjalund Salt-Sage, captain of the Northern Maiden. As I was telling your... angry friend here, I'm no longer sailing to Solstheim. Not after..."

"Not after what? What happened?" Adalla took care to keep her tone calm and quiet. It had the effect she desired; she noticed the captain, while still appearing a little frustrated, was grateful for civility.

"It's... there were people who boarded the ship, wearing strange masks... I remember that..." He looked troubled now. "And next thing, I was here, they were gone. I don't remember the trip, I don't remember... anything. That's not right, losing whole days like that! Oh, things have been strange back at Solstheim anyway... but after that... I'm done. I'm not going back to Solstheim." His words had an air of finality about them.

"Idiot. Yes y'are. Yer takin' us both t'Solstheim," Mia growled.

"Are you truly that stupid?" he snapped. "I just said I'm not going back there!"

Adalla thumped Mia's shoulder firmly, silencing her before she could retort. "Those two that arrived, wearing masks... they tried to kill Mia and myself. They were cultists." She glanced at him. "I'd say that, since you bore them here, you owe us."

He looked hesitant, but heaved a sigh. "Alright, alright... you have a point. If I was responsible for bringing them here, the least I can do is bring you there so you can figure out who sent them."

"We know who sent 'em," Mia growled. "We're just gonna make him pay for it."

"Well said," he said with a faint chuckle. "Well, if that's the case, maybe you can put an end to whatever's happening in Solstheim. Maybe these cultists and the troubles in Solstheim are connected." He stood slowly, and glanced out over the water. "I don't want to do this, truth be told, but I'll bring you both there."

"Thank you." Adalla smiled at him, and watched as he set about conveying the decision to the rest of his crew. "Mia, thank him as well."

The woman sighed. "Why's it always gotta be me what fails t'talk t'people?"

"I've always been charismatic," Adalla said with a wink. "Elenwen and Runael both said I have a silver tongue. It takes practice, besides."

Mia sat down on an elevated wooden plank, and gave the space next to her a pat. "Well, we're 'bout t'do this. Ya really ready?"

"As long as we're together, we can accomplish anything," Adalla replied with a smile. "We broke a Thalmor blockade together; I think we can beat Miraak."

* * *

"...alla, wake up..." Her shoulder was being shaken. She groaned and rolled over a little.

"Oy, Adalla, don't roll-" She felt hands grab her roughly, and pull her onto her back. The sudden motion jerked her awake, and she sat upright quickly.

"Wha-"

"Ya were 'bout t'roll off the ship," Mia said with a sigh. "This ain't Skyrim, but I'd wager the water's colder 'cause it's further north."

Adalla squinted against the sun in the sky, coming close to sunset. The coast was thick with ash, and she was fairly certain ash hung in the air, as well. She glanced over her shoulder and felt her jaw drop.

Red Mountain was visible, smoke and ash all but billowing from it. It was still active, to an extent... not erupting, but active nonetheless. Her eyes flicked to the nearby coast once more.

"Well... here we are." Gjalund was speaking now. "We're approaching Raven Rock. I have to admit, I'm not all that glad to see it again... especially considering..." He sighed lightly. "Well, you two are here, so perhaps there's hope yet."

"Thank you, Captain." Adalla had awoken fully now, and was fully lucid as a result. "Will you be here a while longer?"

"I will. I've got a shipment for Raven Rock, and I won't be leaving until they pay me for it."

They all watched as the pier came into view. Adalla tensed a little. This was really happening. She and Mia were here, in Solstheim, to settle a grudge with the storied 'First Dragonborn'.

"Good luck, you two." Maybe you can both figure out what's going on around here... and put an end to it, as well." The Northern Maiden was coming closer to the pier now, and revealed the strange and unfamiliar architecture to Adalla. She'd only ever been to Alinor and Skyrim; Dunmeri architecture was... unusual to behold. Were the homes really that small, or was there something else to them that she wasn't aware of?

"Well... here we go, partner," Mia murmured, leaning against Adalla and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Whether we succeed or fall, we'll do it together."

The high elf nodded, and closed her eyes briefly. "So let's do this, and get back home. I already don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

* * *

She coughed violently to expel the frigid ocean water from her lungs, and crawled over the frigid northern coast of Solstheim. Already, she was trying to preserve what little warmth she had, and was losing it pretty quickly.

"D-dammit..." she murmured quietly. With a few more movements, she pulled herself completely out of the water. Her eyes flicked about for anything she could set aflame and warm herself with. There was the driftwood of the small craft she'd taken from Skyrim... but not much else. She bit her lower lip - a little too carelessly, as she drew blood while she shivered and her jaw chattered.

Still... it was better than nothing. She would have to make the driftwood last. She went for the pieces out in the water first, figuring she was already soaked; no sense grabbing the wood that had washed ashore and drying off, only to grab the rest of it and get wet again.

As she swam out, she thought back to all that had transpired in Skyrim. How much deception had she employed to hide the truth? How much secrecy did she employ to try and carry out her duties? As her fingers closed around the first of several pieces of driftwood, she wondered whether things were truly peaceful for them again.

She slipped from one piece of driftwood, and submerged underwater for a time. When she came back up, she gasped for air and swam back for the shore, bringing the driftwood with her. To Oblivion with it; she'd make do with what she'd gathered, and the driftwood on the coastline.

_You have failed me._

The voice made her jump, but she didn't seem horrified. Instead, she shook her head.

_'I had no-'_

_You had time to succeed where your peers failed, and yet you opted not to act. That is a choice._

_'I haven't failed you! I can and will make this right!'_

_She is already here. If you are going to redeem yourself, you will do so with all due haste, and before she can disrupt everything._

The revelation that her mark was already present made her freeze, and not just because her clothes and her skin were wet and in the cold.

_'I will make this right, m'lord, I promise you that.'_

_Succeed, and you will be rewarded. Fail again..._

_'I will not fail you, Lord Miraak. Have some faith in me for a change.'_

_You have done little to foster such faith from me... but against my better judgment, I shall hold out hope. Fail me at your own risk._

She focused a Flames spell through her hands and managed to catch the driftwood alight after some effort. She began to warm herself by the small fire she'd just created.

"I wish I were still a vampire..." Vernanye grumbled, hugging her knees to her chest and trying to preserve what little warmth she still had.

* * *

"I don't recognize either of you, so I'm going to assume this is your first visit to Raven Rock." A Dunmer in fine brown clothing stood at the pier and all but blocked their way to the rest of Raven Rock; the only places they had to go were the ship or the water. "State your intentions, outlanders."

"My name is Adalla, and this is my best friend, Mia. We're here to investigate a recent incident that involved us, back in Windhelm. Cultists came from Raven Rock to try and kill Mia." Adalla chose to take charge of the conversation, to ensure as effortless and as smooth a transition into their journey as possible.

"That doesn't explain-"

"Miraak," Mia said bluntly. "Know the name, and know where we can find him so we can bash his head in?"

"Miraak...? I... I'm not sure I do..."

"That... doesn't make-"

"Explain, dammit!" Mia snapped. "Do ya know the git or not?!"

The dark elf looked frustrated at her attitude. "I'm unsure. I know the name... but can't recall from where."

"That's not helpful, ya little shi-"

Adalla smacked Mia firmly in the chest with her hand. "What _do_ you know about him, then?" she asked with civility.

"The... the only thing I know for certain is that it has something to do with the Earth Stone... but for the life of me, I couldn't say what."

"The Earth Stone?" Adalla asked.

"On the peninsula behind you." The elf pointed along the coastline, and to the stone glowing to the southwest. "In any event, you would both do well to remember this is Morrowind, not Skyrim. You will abide by _our_ laws while you're here."

"Of course. Thank you for your help, mister...?"

"Adril Arano," he said with no small amount of pride. "Of House Redoran."

"Thanks for nothin'," Mia grumbled under her breath.

"Mia!" Adalla hissed under hers.

The Dunmer, fortunately, didn't seem to hear the woman's irritated comment.

"Well... I guess we'll have to ask around, then."

"Why do ya keep hittin' me?!" Mia growled to Adalla.

"Why do you keep being so blunt and rude?" the high elf replied.

"Why are people so useless?!" Mia retorted.

Adalla rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're rather judgmental lately."

Mia didn't respond. She was already heading into Raven Rock, pulling her cloak tight around her. Adalla mirrored the gesture, and followed Mia into the settlement.

Everyone they spoke with pointed them in the direction of the Earth Stone. With no other lead, the pair decided to investigate.

* * *

It was strange, seeing so many people around the stone; it was even stranger to find they were all doing... something. And it was stranger still...

"Here in his shrine..."

"That they have forgotten."

"Here do we toil."

"It's all so... strange," Adalla murmured. "What are they... chanting, I guess?"

Mia shrugged. "Beats me. Oy!" She stepped toward one female Dunmer, and gripped her shoulder firmly. "What y'all doin'-"

The woman ignored Mia, and moved away from her as if the woman hadn't gripped her shoulder so firmly. Mia went to repeat the gesture, but hesitated.

"Strange. She shrugged off Mia's 'death grip of doom'," Adalla mused.

"Aye... but it's more so the fact that she weren't all that bothered by it what gets me. She ain't even reactin'... just... workin', I guess, and chantin'."

Adalla stepped toward the large glowing stone. "Maybe we should take a closer look."

Mia nodded silently, and led the way. As she walked toward the stone, she couldn't help but feel as though the stone was... _wrong_. No... not the stone, but... _something_ was wrong with the stone itself. She had no idea what was going on with it, but she knew it wasn't in its... 'natural state'.

They stopped a short distance from the stone. There was a Dunmer walking toward them now, wearing a red robe... wait, he was _approaching_ them?

"You there... you two don't seem to be quite like the others here. Curious..." He peered at them closely. "What are you two doing here?"

"This here stone, or Solstheim in general?" Mia asked.

"Mia..."

"Both, I suppose." The Dunmer crossed his arms.

"Lookin' for some git named Miraak. We were told this stone were the best lead t'figure out what's goin' on here."

"Miraak... Miraak..." The Dunmer looked thoughtful for a time. "It's... familiar, but I can't place- oh, wait a moment, yes I can, but... hm, how very peculiar..." His brow furrowed. "Miraak's been dead for thousands of years."

"Horseshit," Mia growled. "The git sent cronies t'try and kill me and Adalla here. How could he do that if he were dead?"

The Dunmer looked amused at her reaction more than anything. "I'm not sure, but it's so very intriguing, isn't it? Maybe it has something to do with what's happening here... how very... unexpected. I can give you no solid answers, unfortunately... but there _are_ ruins of an ancient temple that was once devoted to Miraak at the heart of the island. That's as good a place to look as any, yes?"

"Yeh, good point." Mia sighed, and looked to her right... to find Adalla was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah... I would advise _against_ touching the stone," the Dunmer said, his attention diverted to the stone. Mia turned her attention to the stone as well - and felt her jaw drop.

Adalla was there, hand resting upon the stone now. She watched as her best friend, her partner, seemed to gasp...

"And when the world shall listen... and when the world shall see... and when the world remembers... that world will cease to be." The words that spilled from Adalla's lips now matched the chanting of the others surrounding the Earth Stone.

"What the-"

"Oh my." The Dunmer was approaching Adalla swiftly now. "It seems as though touching the stone pulls anyone under its sway."

"Adalla?" Mia said, sounding worried.

"I wonder if this is permanent? If not, how long will she be like this?"

"Adalla!" Mia cried out. "What are ya-"

"She's fallen under the stone's influence," the Dunmer said, turning his attention to Mia. "Now, nothing will break this 'spell' she's under. If such a thing existed, I'm sure the people here would be free of it."

"But... Adalla!" She rushed to her partner's side and grabbed her shoulder.

Just as the Dunmer from earlier had done, the high elf shrugged it off, and set off to start working on... whatever it was everyone else was working on.

"Curious... so very curious..." the male Dunmer murmured.

"What's goin' on with Adalla?!" Mia roared, her voice nearing hysteria.

"Calm down, woman. Such a temper... no wonder she prefers to speak for you."

"You little-"

"Ahem. I believe you have a temple to investigate? Don't worry about your friend here; she won't come to harm while she's here. None of them do. Besides, I'll be here watching the entire thing, so, in effect, I'll be watching her for you."

"That ain't comforting..." she muttered. She reached out for her partner again, and even tried to pick her up; to her surprise, Adalla slipped out of her hands effortlessly. There was no way she was going to actually grab Adalla now. "Adalla..." she whispered; her eyes were starting to line with moisture.

"You're not so hopeless without her, are you?" he mused.

"She's my partner and best friend, ya git," she snapped. "I been through a lot with her by now. I ain't gonna just..."

"If you stay here and wait for her, you'll be waiting until this shrine they're building is done... and possibly even beyond that. I get the feeling the temple will be a better place for you to spend your time; you may even find a way to reverse this."

Mia cast one last, forlorn look at Adalla, who was starting to haul a stone in her arms. "Wait for me, Adalla," she whispered. "I'll save ya from this, I promise." With one last gaze at the high elf, she turned away and set off for Raven Rock once more.

Alone, this time. She hoped it would be the last time she ever had to leave Adalla behind like this.

* * *

_**A.N.** - And now, on with the post-chapter Author's Note. Which, from here on out, there will only ever be._

_On the whole, I wasn't too pleased with this chapter. I feel like it could have been far stronger than it is. Even so, I didn't feel like rewriting the entire thing, and had begun writing the second chapter almost immediately after this one had been finished; if I'd changed the first, I'd have had to change the second._

_Separating Mia from Adalla. This decision was actually very easy for me to accept, and even easier for me to pull off. They're going to be separated for a little while yet, too, though this decision was made, mostly, so I could show that Mia can actually hold her own alone. Besides, the opportunities in Flames to view things from Mia's perspective - and perceive her character as such - were few and far between._

_Vernanye. The missing elder sister from Flames makes a (possibly very startling) return in the first chapter of I Am Dragonborn - and reveals who her master is. She will play a great part in this story - not as an ally, per se, but ultimately as an enemy. I tried foreshadowing her intentions in the later chapters of Flames, especially when she tries to force Mia and Adalla apart (and fails, obviously) - and thus, make Mia that much easier to take out - and wonder if I succeeded in that regard. Her plans for Mia and Solstheim on the whole are not good, either, obviously... ;)_

_So non-story related stuff for a bit._

_Apparently, attacking a Stormcloak Courier in Imperial-controlled territory can and will give you a bounty in the hold. Seems legit. I made this chuckle-inducing discovery yesterday, when I was playing a new character for 'research' purposes. (I'm contemplating a Dawnguard storyline, and was curious as to the perspective of 'what happens when a normal vampire wants to side with the Volkihar vampires?') To that end, I created a new character with a racial mod - Tideborn. I can go on and on about how crazy I am about this race's natural affinities - and ability to breathe underwater - plus, elven model, ultimately - but I won't. Instead, I'm going to say that something has gone horribly wrong with my plan._

_Apparently, there's a mod conflict somewhere, and I'm not sure what mod is responsible... but my Tideborn 'normal' vampire cannot feed to reset vampirism to normal levels. In theory, I could Calm/Vampire's Seduction my way through the first few opening Dawnguard quests (I had fun using Calm on a carriage driver and buying a ride from Whiterun to Markarth, at that), but I don't know if Calm on its own would last long enough for it to be feasible in some of the longer conversations. True, my Tideborn has been working her Illusion skill (Muffle is amazing for rapid leveling of it, I've found), but that whole 'time limit' thing... not fun._

_As of now, I'm wondering if it's just a conflict with the Tideborn mod. My other in-game vampire, Runael, hasn't fed in gods-know-how-long, but she's a Vampire Lord anyway, so she doesn't need to in order to avoid being attacked. I could check and see that way, I suppose. I could alternately create and have another character contract vampirism, as well. Still, considering I spent the bulk of my day playing the Tideborn character (I finished Vaermina, Meridia and Clavicus Vile's quests, and was in the middle of Mehrunes Dagon's quest, as well - so I kept busy!), it would feel like a waste to just... start a new Tideborn character and be careful not to contract Sanguinaire Vampiris. If it's not the Tideborn mod, though, that leave me wondering what mod it IS... because I have so many, and haven't fed as a vampire in... months, at least. Not since I cured Mia of her vampirism (the eyes on Mia's race just looked dull, and I wanted those lovely blue eyes again anyway); she'd been blood-starved, and Falion won't cure you if you're blood-starved._

_Anyway, rant off. Leave a review and let me know what you thought of IAD's first chapter!_

_-Spiritslayer_


	2. Chapter 2

As Mia traveled north, she came to realize just how similar to Skyrim Solstheim truly was. She was grateful when the ash-ridden Solstheim gave way to the frost-covered areas. Cold though it was either way, Solstheim, in its own way, was... beautiful. It didn't have the exact same rugged beauty that Skyrim had, but even so...

She wished, more than anything, that she could share the beauty of Solstheim with Adalla.

She still couldn't believe what had happened at the Earth Stone. Her partner... she'd been forced to abandon Adalla, to do this alone. She felt... uncomfortable doing it alone. What if she ran into Miraak himself? What if she needed to fight him, and neded Adalla at her side to succeed?

What if she was killed in the temple?

She felt something shift in her pack, and blinked. What did she have in her pack that was alive-

A faint mewling sounded from what Mia presumed to be an opening, and despite herself, Mia allowed herself to smile. Adima had stowed away in her pack somewhere along the line; she hadn't seen the saber kitten since she and Adalla had left Windhelm, and had just presumed the kitten had remained behind.

"C'mere, ya little..." Mia said, stopping long enough to open the pack and tug the saber kitten into her arms. "Guess I ain't alone right now, am I? But I feel like I am anyway... ain't the same without..." She slung her pack over her shoulder again, and hugged Adima tightly. With the saber kitten cozying up in her arms, she continued on the way toward... what she presumed to be the heart of the island.

"Don't suppose they got signs sayin' 'Miraak's temple - do not enter' or some such, do they? What ya think, Adima?"

Neither had anything more to 'say'; the kitten was dozing off, while Mia's eyes had fallen upon a sight that made her eyes go wide.

A massive skeleton, covered in snow... a _very_ familiar skeleton, at that...

"Dragon..." she whispered, staring at the lifeless skull. "How long's this bugger been dead and here...?" She glanced around - and spotted a second... then a third.

She felt like she was going to be ill. Dragon skeletons littering the ground, at the heart of a set of stairs that seemed to lead to where the storied 'First Dragonborn' had a temple built. How long had they been there? Thousands of years? Fewer? More?

She shivered at the thought. What if Miraak had killed them all? Had he killed all three of them at the same time? If not, had he thrown their corpses down here - or had they boldly approached the temple despite the bones of their fallen brethren?

She set her jaw. When had she started caring about the well-being of dragons? How many had she killed in her life now? She started up the stairs that led to what she presumed was the temple.

Sure enough, she heard the familiar chanting from a man in what appeared to be yellow, and rather unusual armor; she'd seen it in Raven Rock, too, as well as the Earth Stone. She still didn't know what it was, but that wasn't what was important... There was more and more of the chanting the closer she got to the structure at the top of the hill.

As she climbed the wooden walkway ascending the side of the structure, she thought about the possible meaning of those words being chanted. Was there any significance to them? Were they gibberish? She tried to drone them out, but couldn't do it easily.

As she drew nearer to what she presumed to be the center of the temple, though, she heard another voice - and it didn't go with the chanting. She couldn't hear the words clearly, but she knew the voice was definitely of someone free from the mysterious control. The thought of meeting someone else who had clarity of mind was quite enticing, and she picked up her pace.

"...Ysra, can you hear me?! You must leave this place!" The voice belonged to a blonde woman clad in... armor Mia hadn't seen before. When the woman turned to face Mia, she found her eyes locked with the blue eyes of the mysterious woman before her now.

"You there. You possess clarity of mind, yes? Why are you here, then?"

"I have reasons," Mia replied stiffly. "My name is Mia. What's yer name, and what are _ya_ doin' here?"

"I am Frea of the Skaal. My reason for being here? I want to either save my people, or avenge them."

"Save 'em from...?"

"I'm not sure. As you can see, the people of Solstheim are not themselves. They forget who they are, and corrupt the Stones without a thought. They twist the land itself..." Frea shook her head. "My father says Miraak has returned to Solstheim, but... that can't be."

"Miraak's the reason I'm here," Mia growled. "The bastard tried t'have me killed back in Skyrim. I ain't gonna just sit back and let him do whatever he wants."

Frea's eyes widened at the revelation, but she nodded. "Then you and I both have reason to see what lies beneath us." She extended a hand toward Mia. "Come. Let's be on our way. For now, all we can do is investigate the situation and be certain whether or not Miraak is, in fact, behind this. There is nothing we can do for those who have been taken control of by... whatever controls them. Not now."

Mia thought about Adalla, and nodded grimly. "Aye. Lead on, then, if ya got a way in."

* * *

It was... comforting for Mia to have Frea along in the temple. And yet... it wasn't the same. Frea wasn't Adalla.

Frea did seem to realize the general discomfort she caused Mia, but didn't say anything or act any differently. She was rather friendly toward Mia, all told, and the woman was grateful for that.

As they entered a chamber with human skeletons in cages, though, Mia felt her stomach turn. "He's..."

"Twisted, yes. What horrors did those poor souls suffer at Miraak's hands, I wonder? And yet, at the same time... I do not wish to know."

"Ya think we can free their old bones and give 'em rest?"

"Noble of you, but... I doubt it. There doesn't appear to be a means of lowering the cages, or opening them, at that." Frea glanced around, as if searching for any hostile presence.

"Why are you here, Mia?"

The question caught her off-guard. "T'put a stop t'Miraak. I said that already."

"I know. You mentioned that. What I mean is..." Frea paused, presumably to think of the word she wanted. "...You are obviously uncomfortable around me, yet you haven't told me off once yet. Why?"

"I ain't got time for this," Mia said with a sigh. "We gotta get t'the bottom of this, aye? The sooner we do, the sooner we can figure out what all's happening with them stones."

"...Someone you care for has been ensnared by the stones' influence... haven't they?" Frea asked quietly.

"...Aye. My best friend, my partner for little... 'ventures' like this... she were lulled by that damnable Earth Stone, not long after we arrived in Solstheim. We ain't been separate for so long, and we been through thick and thin together. It's just... bizarre t'be here, with someone else, and not..."

"I understand." Frea seemed to visibly relax now that she knew what was driving Mia so. "Then for her sake, you came alone."

"Aye. Just like ya came here alone for yer people?"

Frea nodded solemnly. They exchanged far fewer words now, neither one wanting to be the one to interrupt the other's thoughts. Frea occasionally commented here and there, but Mia knew the words were rhetorical, and that the Skaal woman wasn't expecting any response. In a way, she was grateful to Frea for that; thinking back on how some of her exchanges with the people of Solstheim had played out so far, and how Adalla stepped in to keep the situation calm each time...

Yet Frea seemed to understand some of Mia's frustrations. She certainly harbored no ill will toward Mia, nor did she seem all that troubled whenever Mia let a curse slip out during fights against draugr or the occasional cultists patrolling the temple. Mia had to admit, she was becoming fond of Frea, insofar as a travel companion; the two had an unusual synergy with one another: the Skaal woman fought their foes up close and personal, seemingly shrugging off the frost-based spells their foes threw their way, while Mia took aim at distant targets that were preparing to shoot Frea from afar. Only twice had Mia become the focus of attention, but the agility she'd attained from her time spent in the wilds helped her evade all but one attack.

As the duo approached a somewhat large door, Mia held a hand firmly to where one draugr's arrow had left a somewhat serious slash in her cheek; the fact that it had been that close told her that if she hadn't moved as fast as she had, or if it had been just a little further to her right... she didn't want to think about it. She swung her pack around to her front and opened it. Adima poked her head out and mewled softly at her.

"A... kitten," Frea commented, surprised.

"Aye. Adima here's my partner's pet, technically, though I see enough of her t'say she's like my own, too." She scratched the saber kitten behind her ears, then grabbed a clean cloth and a vial filled with a healing solution Mia had concocted before she and Adalla had left Windhelm.

"She's... a saber kitten, no?"

"Aye. She's playful for now, but Adalla and I keep close eye on her t'let her know that the more... primal instincts of a fully grown saber cat don't sit well with other people. Don't want little Adima here clawin' us t'shreds one evening."

Frea smiled a little. "I imagine that must be tough, but far from impossible. Still, you are taming her while she's young, so it's easier, at any rate." She watched as Mia soaked the cloth with the healing solution, and opened the door before them as Mia applied the cloth to her injury.

Almost as soon as the doors swung open, they heard a clicking sound - then Mia heard the horrid 'swoosh' that accompanied only one thing in these old, Nordic ruins.

Frea chuckled softly - and bitterly - under her breath. "I am not going down there," she muttered, eyes on the swinging blade traps that had activated as soon as she'd opened the door. "It would be foolish to attempt it, and I would likely lose my head trying."

Mia grimaced at the implications of her words. "So yer countin' on me," she grumbled.

"You have a better chance than I do, lightly armored as you are, and as naturally agile as you are as well. Weighed down by this heavy armor, my death is almost certain." She walked to stand before the first of the swinging blade traps, and sat down a safe distance from them. "There seems to be a lever on the other end; I would imagine it deactivates these traps. I shall wait here for the time being."

Mia stood next to Frea, and gave her own neck a few pats with the cloth. The pain had subsided, and as she ran her fingers lightly over the injury, she knew it had been closed. The wound was all but gone, the only remnant being a very dull throbbing sensation where it had been. That would go away with time, she knew; all of her previous injuries had endured the same.

"Is something troubling you, friend?" Frea asked softly.

"Aside from the fact that ya want me t'risk gettin' sliced t'tiny bits by these here traps?" she retorted. "How's about the fact that I just finished healin' that cut t'me cheek?"

Frea, unlike anyone else who would have likely been offended by her words, merely chuckled. "Fair enough. Do not forget that time is of the essence, but at the same time, do not rush. It means nothing if either of us falls here and now."

Mia gave Frea a small nod, and with a murmured "Sorry", began to examine the trapped corridor.

There were... she couldn't count them all, not from her current position. It appeared she'd have to slip by three 'sections' of these traps, though, and she could see four in the first section alone; surely, that meant there were twelve? She wasn't positive. She scanned the corridor, and immediately noticed that there was a fair bit of space on either side of the traps; of course, there were stone dividers that meant she'd have to brave at least two of the traps in each section, but it was better than trying to dodge all presumed twelve.

With a deep breath, she rushed past the first swinging blade and hugged the wall on the left, and sidled along the wall carefully. Even with that idea, the blades still came too close for comfort to her face: as she neared the third blade, the very corner of it stopped a very short distance from her nose. She was safe where she was, but if she so much as slipped or lost her footing...

She watched the fourth blade, and moved as soon as it began to move away from her, desperate to reach the second section before it returned. She slipped into the space separating the first and second sections, and sighed wearily. She wasn't exhausted, not even slightly, but the threat of these traps frayed her nerves endlessly. She cast her glance to the next section, and after the fifth blade swung away from the left side of the corridor, she dashed for the wall there.

She repeated this steady process all the way to the lever, and once she her hands closed around the metallic shaft, she put her might behind making it move. It was old, and as such partially rusted, but the mechanism moved at her coaxing. She heard something click, and turned her attention to the traps behind her, which were swaying still-

No. They were swinging back to their starting positions, where they then fell still. She'd deactivated the traps.

"Thank you," she heard Frea call from the other end as she approached Mia. "Miraak took great pains to keep intruders out, I see. Let us hope this is the last of these fiendish devices."

"Aye. Them swingin' blades've always worried me, no matter where I encounter 'em." Mia took point when Frea had finally rejoined her, and led the way further in.

* * *

Even Mia felt appalled at what she saw now. She and Frea were standing in a chamber that seemed to be a dead end; there was a wall inscribed with very familiar markings on Mia's left, and a few of the markings were glowing. What appalled her, however, was what was overhead.

A dragon's skeleton was suspended from the ceiling, as if...

"I had heard Miraak turned against his draconic masters, but to display remains like... this..." Frea murmured. "Little wonder the dragons razed his temple to the ground. Seeing the bones of their kin hung and displayed like trophies..."

"Aye..." Mia couldn't tear her eyes from the dragon's skeleton. She finally shook her head in an attempt to do just that, and looked around for an exit. Where would they go from here? What was with the sarcophagus in the middle of the wall below the dragon's skeleton, standing all alone? Was that where Miraak was buried, if he was truly as dead as that male Dunmer made it sound? Was the end of her journey truly so close at hand? Would killing him free Adalla?

"There's no way through?" Frea asked, shaking her head.

Mia had her suspicions. She'd encountered a similar situation once before, at a miserable little ruin called Bleak Falls Barrow. She'd approached a wall with carvings such as the one to her left before, and once the unusual sensation of learning the word had passed, she'd been ambushed by a guardian draugr. She had a very strong suspicion that was the case here, as well.

"Frea. Ya ain't gonna hate me if ya learn somethin' new 'bout me, will ya?" she asked tentatively. She'd come to appreciate Frea being with her thus far, and couldn't bear the thought of losing the first friend she'd made in Solstheim because she was...

"Why would I hate you?" the Skaal woman asked, sounding surprised.

Mia didn't answer, but rather approached the wall with the glowing words carved into it. She felt the familiar sensation of the word of power taking hold of her mind, and reached up to clutch her head as it flashed through her mind.

_Mul_... She shook her head gently, and waited for the sensation to pass.

"What's wrong? Did something-"

The words surprised Mia, but then again, she'd never learned a word of power in front of anyone else; did the word of power not glow, then, for anyone else? Just her?

She had no time to ponder it, though; Frea had stopped speaking when the chamber seemed to shake. Mia heard them then: the first of the sarcophagi lids popping off. She'd been right; it was an ambush, of sorts. In this small chamber, Mia's bow wouldn't do much good; she reached for her shield and readied it, and grabbed the ebony war axe she'd found in the fort west of Windhelm from her side, readying it for melee combat.

The first two sarcophagi lids to fall off revealed no immediate threat; the draugr within them collapsed in a very non-threatening manner, presumably defeated long before now by... something. Their luck wasn't so great with the remainder, however; three more draugr did emerge from their tombs, and when the last set its foot down, the sarcophagus beneath the dragon's skeleton popped open.

Mia instantly knew that the draugr that emerged from the sarcophagus was far stronger than the others, clad in armor, wielding an ebony weapon - whereas the other three wielded simple, ancient Nordic weaponry, as most draugr tended to do. She was determined to make as much progress as possible to tip the scales in their favor, and set off for the trio of draugr first. Frea followed close behind, and together, they felled the trio before any of them could raise their weapon to strike the Skaal and the Dragonborn.

This left the menacing draugr free to swipe at Mia's back, though; it missed her pack altogether, but she felt the draugr's war axe snag some of her hair temporarily - before moving away entirely. She whirled around to face the draugr, and noticed a few strands of brown hair drifting to the stony floor before her very eyes.

"Yer gonna pay for cuttin' me hair," she snapped, lifting her shield and, after the briefest of delays, bashing the draugr in the chest when it readied what Mia recognized as a far more powerful attack than a simple swing. She grinned as it staggered back, and kept the pressure up, swinging her own weapon at the draugr now.

She was quite surprised, then, when she heard words she loathed to hear, especially in these crypts.

"_Zun Haal Viik!_" The draugr's Shout impacted her with just enough force to stagger her and unwillingly make her lose her grasp of both her war axe and her shield. She cursed quietly, and glared up at the draugr, which was starting to laugh mockingly at her and readied its axe for a heavy swing on the vulnerable Mia.

Knowing she had but a split second to save her own life, Mia reacted with a Shout of her own.

"_Iis Slen Nus!_" As soon as the words left her lips, her breath turned to consuming ice, and blasted past the draugr. The ice clung to the undead being's figure, and swirled around it temporarily, encasing it almost completely in ice; at the very least, it couldn't move, and it fell over, victim to Mia's favorite Shout, the Ice Form Shout.

"What-" Frea gasped out.

Mia wasted no time with explanations or with watching the draugr; she was already swooping for her axe and shield, and picked both up. She took only a moment to fix her hold on both, then stepped so that she'd be standing behind the draugr, and sought out a vulnerable point that wouldn't cause the ice to break immediately.

She decided that the small, exposed area at the back of its neck was the best target, and after casting her shield aside, gripped her war axe with both hands and drove the weapon with all her might into the draugr's neck.

The ice paralyzing it faded steadily from around the draugr's figure both before and after the impact, but the draugr didn't move when the last of the ice had vanished. She'd destroyed it outright with the attack. She shifted her hold on the axe so it was one-handed again, and picked up her shield.

"That power..." Frea murmured. "That was... the Voice, was it not?"

"Aye." Mia had hoped it wouldn't come to using the Ice Form Shout - or even the Voice in general - but it had, and now she had to face the aftermath of it. What if Frea wasn't like Adalla - understanding, and not insistent to know more about that which Mia still didn't care for?

How would Frea react to Mia being Dragonborn?

"I wasn't aware Tongues still existed in this day and age," Frea spoke softly. "It is good to see the oldest powers that freed mankind from the dragons' reign have not been forgotten." She smiled at Mia, either misunderstanding, or respectful enough not to presume Mia was actually Dragonborn.

It was good enough for Mia. She was fine with being called a 'Tongue' than 'Dragonborn'.

"How long have-"

"I'd rather not get into it," Mia said flatly. "I ain't liked usin' it, and typically don't unless I ain't got any other choice."

"Fair enough. I'll leave it be, then. We all have things we don't want to discuss." Frea replaced her axes at her sides. "Being a master of the Voice is one of yours, I see."

Part of her wanted to correct Frea, but she didn't acknowledge the words. She gazed instead at the sarcophagus, and at the door hidden behind it. She stepped toward it, and tried to open it - frowning when it wouldn't budge. "Shit," she grumbled. "Locked." She knelt down and peered at the lock, then grabbed her lockpicking tools. "I ain't proud a' this, but it's saved me life several times afore now..." She tried the lock, but found it unresponsive to her lockpick. She'd encountered a few locks like this in the past; the type that were simply too complicated to be picked efficiently. She could be here for hours trying to pop the first cylinder into place.

"Need a key?" Frea asked. The Skaal woman was bent over the draugr corpses, and had just finished rummaging carefully through the draugr that had emerged from the sarcophagus Mia was in front of. She held up what appeared to be a key. "I found one. Perhaps it opens that door?"

"Maybe." Mia reached out for the key, and felt it pressed into her hands. "Thank ya."

"Are you alright, my friend?" Frea asked quietly.

"Aye. Irritated that these draugr seem t'remember how t'disarm someone with their Voice alone, but otherwise..." She slid the key into the lock, and turned it; she smiled as the door's lock clicked, and she pushed the door open. "And there we go."

* * *

It was looking less and less like a Nordic ruin to Mia now, and more and more like... something else entirely. As she and Frea walked down a wooden spiral pathway, she contemplated what the eerie statuary had been. It looked... Mia had no words to describe it. It was unsettling, at any rate, and she didn't want to put her hand anywhere near the lever that had opened this passage to them, either, for much the same reason as Frea.

Still, the statue remained such, and both women had slipped out of the hidden area with all due haste.

"Ya think them statues got anything t'do with what drove Miraak t'betray the dragons?" Mia asked as they proceeded in relative silence.

"It's not impossible," Frea said slowly, "but there are no clues as to what they could be, so it does not help us much." She sounded as troubled as Mia felt.

Even as Mia demonstrated her archery prowess by dropping draugr and skeletons alike from a great distance - and earning some admiring praise from Frea besides for it - she couldn't shake the unnerved feeling she was enduring now. Those statues, plus the blatant disrespect for a dragon's bones... even as the last skeleton fell, Mia's eyes were on the horrid display that showed dragon bones - presumably wing bones - at very odd and unnatural angles, with the skull close to the center of them. Frea had offered no words about the sight, but Mia presumed the Skaal woman was just as unnerved.

What was most unsettling, however, was the large statue at the top of the steps. It appeared to be... something with pincers, multiple pincers, at that, and one large eye at its center. She was fairly sure she'd never seen anything like it before, and wondered to herself if Frea had.

If the Skaal woman had, she didn't say anything about it. Mia glanced at Frea, who met her eyes.

"No, I do not know."

"Aye, I thought not, but even so, never hurts t'wonder." Still, even as she gave the statue one last glance, she couldn't help but feel as though she'd seen it once before... just once, and a passing glance, at that... but where...?

Again, the duo proceeded in silence, each lost in their own thoughts now. Mia was trying to wrap her mind around what she'd seen in this temple so far, and if there would be anything more horrifying further in.

At long last, Mia and Frea found themselves regarding what appeared to be a small altar - upon which rested a book with a black cover and an... odd design upon the front cover.

"Wonder if this book's what caused him ta..." Mia let her voice trail, and she approached the book cautiously - as if expecting some sort of ambush once she got close enough.

"Be careful, my friend," Frea warned. "I sense... very dark magics here. Be ready for anything. And that book seems... wrong. As if it is here, but not... perhaps you are right, and it is what we are after..."

Mia carefully picked the book up, and very slowly opened its pages. The text within was fairly simple, and she began to read it - or try to, anyway; it would be easier if Adalla were here to-

She blinked as a few of the letters seemed to shift before her eyes. She pulled the book away from herself, and went to set it down - but a string of lettering wrapped itself around her wrist and held fast, as if to ensure she couldn't let go of it. Her fingers released the book, but because of that string of letters - no, symbols - it remained in her hold. She watched another string of symbols shoot out toward her neck and wrap itself around her, and she wondered wildly if the book was about to kill her. The symbols around her wrist pulsed, as did the string of symbols that had wrapped around her neck; as they pulsed, she felt her vision become blurry, and felt her consciousness swim in and out for a time. She was only vaguely aware of the symbols being replaced by what appeared to be dull green tentacles that had a hold of her.

Then she lost consciousness altogether.

* * *

"The time comes soon when..."

The words stirred Mia from her slumber, and caused her to open her eyes. The very first thing she realized was that her vision was still quite blurry; she could make out faint outlines of things, but nothing more. She was... outside? The sky appeared a green color, though... and there were towers in the distance. There was a man standing before her, flanked by... statues? Other things? She couldn't tell; she needed better focus first.

"What?" The man standing before her readied a spell, and turned to face her. With a small cry, he blasted her with the spell, knocking her to her hands and knees. She tried to push herself up, but her strength failed her; it was all she could do to remain on her hands and knees. She turned her head upright, and found herself able to see that a dragon had joined the scene... and that there weren't simply two, but rather, four of those... odd, tentacled things on either side of the man.

"Who are you to dare set foot here?" the man demanded of her. "You do not belong..."

She grit her teeth, and opened her mouth to speak.

"Ahh... you are Dragonborn... I can feel it, the resonance of power with my own... and yet..." He was wearing a mask, but Mia was fairly certain he was smirking nonetheless. "You have done little, beyond killing a few dragons."

"That's what Dragonborn do, aye?!" she snapped, glad she had her voice.

The man laughed at her mockingly. "Oh, you poor, poor fool... you have no idea the power, the _true_ power, that a Dragonborn can wield!" With those words, he took a deep breath.

"_Mul Qah Diiv!_"

She readied herself for an attack, and her gaze fell to the stones beneath her... but nothing happened to her. She looked up to face the man once more, and felt her jaw drop.

He was encased in energy now, and looked... powerful. Even Mia could sense the power radiating off of him, instantly informing her that it wasn't just an appearance. He had gained power in truth, and much of it.

He laughed at her again. "This realm is far beyond you, fool. You command no power here... you cannot even stand." He took a couple steps toward her. "And it's only a matter of time before Solstheim is also mine. The minds of its people already bow to my will. Soon, they will finish building my temple... and I will return home."

"Then... _you_ are Miraak," she growled. She forced herself to her feet, and was instantly bombarded with a bout of dizziness; still, she remained on her feet as best she could. "I don't give a shit 'bout the rest, but give me Adalla back! Let me best friend and partner's mind go, ya-"

"I have no idea who you are talking about, nor do I care," he interrupted. "No matter. You can barely stand, so I am not afraid of you." He turned to the strange, tentacled creatures flanking him. "She can await my arrival with the rest of Tamriel." He glanced back at Mia over his shoulder.

"Get back here!" she yelled angrily. "I ain't through with ya yet, coward! Ya want me dead, then-"

She was interrupted and knocked back down on her hands and knees by a shockwave of yellow energy from one of the tentacled monsters, which had stopped a short distance from her. She cried out, and struggled to stay upright. She felt the same sensation bombard her once more, and felt her elbows quiver. Even so, she glanced up, hoping Miraak would remain behind as she'd commanded.

He wasn't. Instead, he was climbing onto the neck of a dragon... was such a thing even possible? Could Mia, too...? But all dragons seemed to treat her with...

Another yellow shockwave shook her body, and she collapsed to her front. Even so, she propped herself up just enough that she could watch the dragon flap its wings, and fly away, bearing Miraak away from her... denying her the ability to put an end to whatever he was planning... preventing her from saving Adalla from his control.

For the first time in a very long time, Mia felt... _powerless_.

Several more shockwaves rocked her body, and she eventually lost consciousness once more. The last thought to cross her mind was how she wished she was dying, so she wouldn't have to face her own weaknesses again.

* * *

**_A.N._**_ - Don't have a whole lot to say here. It's pretty much just the trek through the Temple, after all._

_So I spent the greater part of yesterday playing the Vampiris Infinium mod, off Nexus Mods. It has promise, but there's just so much that frustrates me with it at the same time... I could go on and on about it, but I won't. I get that it's in its beta stages, so perhaps with time, some of the problems I personally have with it will be dealt with. (I will say this: it is not very friendly to new characters, insofar as a sudden spike in difficulty as you continue to descend floors. I can say this because I started it with a new character. I might give it a whirl on Mia/Vess, but can't say for sure yet...)_

_-Spiritslayer_


	3. Chapter 3

_She ran. As soon as the first of the approaching fiends turned his attention from her hiding place, she bolted from behind the crate and ran as fast as she could._

_It had been weeks now since she'd settled down in this village, seemingly safe from 'them'. Nowhere was truly safe, of course, but it had been a place that 'they' hadn't come to before then. She'd allowed herself to think that perhaps she could and would have a normal life for a change, be able to live as anyone else._

_When the horns had blown, though, and the fighters in the village had taken up weapons, she knew what was happening. She knew it was time for her to run away again._

_It wasn't even like she was a fugitive; she simply didn't want to face a life of slavery. That was what awaited her if she was captured, though, she knew it. The thought of being pinned down by a slaver, unable to go wherever she pleased... to have her otherwise free spirit locked in place..._

_Mia wasn't ready to commit to something like that. She couldn't. She _wouldn't_. She would run as long as it took to avoid capture, and she would eventually-_

_She tripped over what she presumed was a root, and fell flat on her face. The ground, soft from rainfall not more than two hours ago, caused pain in her nose, but broke nothing. She pushed herself up with her arms, groaning in pain, and went to clamber to her feet._

_She couldn't move them, however. The 'root' had wrapped itself around both of her ankles. With a sinking feeling, she knew she'd been caught, and turned to face her captor._

_"No one escapes us," the figure hissed out. "That you tried is laughable."_

_"Let me go," Mia pleaded. "Please... I-I ain't no use t'anyone. I-I can't do nothin' f-for anyone. I have n-no special t-talents for-"_

_The man laughed, the sound chilling Mia to her core. "We'll find something." The tail wrapped around her ankles began to drag her back into the village, leaving her unable to do anything in return except try to dig her fingers into the ground and keep him from pulling her to the fate she wanted to avoid at all costs._

* * *

"...friend!" She was only faintly aware of hands upon her right shoulder, shaking her firmly. "My friend, wake up! What happened to you?"

"Mmgh... wha...?" Mia cracked open an eye to see... a blonde woman... wearing...

Frea. She remembered now. When had she lost consciousness? What had happened to her when she'd tried reading the...?

Frea extended her hand toward the woman, who took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Frea's other hand shot out to catch Mia as she stumbled, and helped her stand upright and steady. "What happened?" she asked again. "You read the book, and then..." The Skaal woman hesitated. "...It seemed as if you were no longer here. I could see you, but also _through_ you!"

It sounded unfamiliar to Mia. What had happened when she'd blacked out? Why had she blacked out? She'd tried reading the book, realized she didn't understand the words... symbols reached out... grabbed her... turned to-

It all came back to her, and she gasped out suddenly. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she nearly fell down onto her knees; Frea was quick to catch her, though, and keep her standing upright.

"Miraak," Mia whispered. "I saw Miraak in some... bizarre place. Yellow... no, green...? Strange sky, towers in the distance... some... weird creatures with tentacles... and a dragon..." She furrowed her brow as she tried to remember everything. "...Miraak rode the dragon."

"Where?!" Frea asked quickly. "Where is he? Can we reach him? Can we _kill_ him?!"

Mia shook her head. "I doubt it. I think tryin' t'read this here book took me to him, but I ain't sure where... I ain't never seen a place like it afore..."

Frea shook her head lightly, clearly disappointed with the outcome - but not with Mia. "It is dangerous, then... but we must take it with us. We ought to return to my village, and speak with my father of this. Perhaps he can make sense of it."

Mia simply nodded solemnly. She'd been so powerless, unable to do anything to stop Miraak. Could she do anything, in the end? Was his power truly so great that she was as a flea to him? Was there truly such a great difference between his definition of 'Dragonborn' and her own?

Was she even truly Dragonborn? She could absorb a dragon's soul, but Miraak had made it sound as if there was far, far more to being Dragonborn... and not only that, he'd made it appear so, as well. Divines, he'd _ridden_ a dragon right in front of her! She couldn't claim that she'd even _spoken_ with one, short of Shouting at it! What did he have that she didn't? Why could he cooperate with dragons - the very same dragons, no doubt, that he'd betrayed so very long ago?

"There appears to be a way out... through..." Frea's voice trailed, and Mia heard the Skaal woman's footsteps approaching her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"...I were powerless t'stop him," Mia finally admitted. "There weren't a damn thing I could do but sit where I was and throw a few words at him. The bastard's got more power'n me..."

"He's Dragonborn, my friend," Frea said, as if that explained everything.

"So am I!" Mia blurted, her voice rising to seeming hysterics. With the shout, the air vibrated around both her and Frea.

The Skaal woman's eyes widened at the revelation. "Then... you are not merely a Tongue... you... are..."

"Aye." Mia swallowed uneasily. She hadn't planned on revealing that to her friend; in fact, she'd hoped she could get through Solstheim while keeping her Dragonborn identity a secret.

"...Then perhaps there is greater hope for us yet," Frea murmured. "Though I cannot say for certain..." She shook her head. "Regardless, we ought to leave and speak with Storn."

"Who?"

"My father," Frea said with a reassuring smile. "Perhaps he can make sense of everything, including your role in all of this."

Mia allowed the Skaal woman to guide her toward what appeared to be the way out, grateful for the opportunity to simply follow and think to herself.

The familiar cold hit Mia like a wall, but she didn't flinch; she had to admit, it was... comforting, to be in the cold again. Only slightly, but-

"Do you see that green light?" Frea was pointing toward the northeast, at a pillar of light.

"Aye?"

"That comes from the Wind Stone, where my people work against their will." Frea sounded troubled as she said it. "To the Skaal, it is heresy to do what they are being forced to do. Those that remain do not hold it against them, as they are not themselves."

"They're bein' controlled by Miraak," Mia grumbled. "The bastard confessed that much when I saw 'im."

The Skaal woman's expression hardened. "Then we must defeat him, and free my people - or the reverse, if it can be done."

Again, Mia thought of Adalla, and nodded. "Aye."

They began to walk to the southeast, along a small, beaten path.

"Why did you keep it secret?" Frea asked.

"Eh?"

"You being Dragonborn."

Mia scowled. Of course that's what she wanted to talk about. "Because it's cost me friends afore. I didn't... I didn't want t'lose another."

Frea looked over her shoulder at Mia, and smiled reassuringly. "I am flattered you think of me as a friend, as I do with you. Regardless, I do not see it as a problem. If I had learned you were Dragonborn sooner, it would not have changed anything between us. Why would it have?"

"I hate bein' asked questions 'bout bein' Dragonborn," Mia said with a sigh. "It's always been a curse t'me. I ain't never needed it much before, and I ain't done much with it 'sides."

"Fair enough. I shall abstain from asking you questions, then, although my curiosities are indeed piqued."

"Thank ya." Mia managed the first true smile she'd had since Adalla had fallen under the Earth Stone's - and Miraak's - sway. "It's been almost two years now, and I'm still tryin' t'come t'grips with the truth."

"I understand. Say no more, my friend, if it troubles you so." Frea came to a stop, and pointed ahead of her. "The village is just ahead. Storn has erected a magical barrier to keep what few Skaal that remain lucid that way. That the barrier remains is a good sign, though I worry that he can keep it up much longer..."

"Then we oughta hurry," Mia said, breaking into a run. She heard Frea run after her, and was surprised to see the Skaal woman not only catch up to her, but pass her as well. "Liar."

Frea smiled lightly. "I still lack the agility you have when it comes to avoiding traps," was all she said.

The architecture reminded Mia of Whiterun, above all else. It was... comforting, and a beautiful scene, besides, to see the village, covered in snow. A quick glance around the village, however, revealed that there were only a small handful of people present. Excluding Frea, there appeared to be only four other Skaal - and one was a child. The other three were in seated positions, wearing what appeared to be heavy furs that covered almost everything but their faces from the elements.

"Father!" Frea, who had slowed to a jog after catching up to Mia, ran to a man without a hat on, revealing his greying hair. "I have returned! There may yet be hope for our people!"

"Frea!" The man she'd called her father didn't move, save to cast his eyes in a quick glance toward the Skaal woman. "What news? Is there a way to free them?"

"No," Frea said, her tone and expression becoming downcast, "but I have brought someone who has seen things. She has confirmed that Miraak is behind Solstheim's enslavement."

"I feared as much," Storn replied grimly.

"But how is it...? After all this time, how could he...?" Frea sounded concerned now.

"There is still much unknown to us, I'm afraid," he replied with a very, very light shake of his head. "Would that we knew more..."

Frea looked at Mia, and nodded. "Please, tell my father what happened." With the request, and a reassuring smile, Frea sat down at Storn's right and assumed a seated stance that suggested she was about to add whatever magical power she possessed to his, as well as the two other Skaal, to keep the barrier up.

* * *

Somehow, she had survived the frigid night. Her fire hadn't burned too strongly, and she'd had to search for more wood once the driftwood had been completely burned to ashes... but Vernanye had endured the evening. She felt like she was freezing to death, of course, but she'd lived.

Of course, such living would be very brief if she didn't do as her master commanded of her. She didn't want to admit it, but she had indeed failed him once before. She'd even _seen_ the Dragonborn before, but didn't dare try and stop her; instead, she'd opted to try and drive her only devoted friend and ally away from her, and that had backfired. Vernanye hadn't had another opportunity before Mia went to break the Thalmor's blockade, and rather than wait around, she'd decided to head to Solstheim and see if she could find an advantage over the Dragonborn. Vernanye was pretty sure she would die if she tried to fight Mia in a fair fight, and the woman seemed pretty wary of her now; in hindsight, trying to antagonize Mia outside Windhelm seemed to have backfired, as well. Offering her anything such as a poisoned drink or food wouldn't work, she suspected.

Still, this was her task now. She had to kill Mia before Mia could threaten Miraak's plans for Solstheim. It would not be easy in the slightest, but she'd manage somehow.

She was in Solstheim, after all, as was Mia. Skyrim was familiar to Mia, to be sure, but not this land. There was much here that Vernanye could attempt to exploit in an effort to crush Mia.

Still... she had no faith she would survive the cold of Solstheim for much longer on her own. Once again, she found herself missing the vampirism she'd so thoughtlessly cured away after she'd departed Whiterun. The more she thought about the immunity to the cold it had provided, the more she craved it... it did, of course, come with its own set of downsides - requiring nightly feeding and unnerving her husband being the two biggest issues to her - but the pros definitely outweighed the cons. She had come to Solstheim in hopes of finding an advantage; she hadn't been expecting to end up wrecked on the northern coast, dragging herself out of freezing waters. She was certain there was an advantage to be had in this unforgiving land, but she needed an advantage all her own first. Did Solstheim have vampires, then? She'd never heard any tales of them, so either there weren't, or they kept themselves very well hidden.

She decided she'd figure that out eventually, and began to make her way... south, she supposed. Anywhere away from the frigid northern shores of Solstheim.

* * *

"The legends speak of Miraak's temple," Storn commented quietly. "Horrific battles waged there; dragons burned it to the ground in fury." He paused momentarily. "The legends also speak of things worse than dragons within. Hard to envision, but if it is true... then what I feared has come to pass." His eyes flicked toward Mia. "Miraak was never truly dead, but simply... gone, and now, he is poised to return."

"Aye. He said as much when we spoke, said I could await his return with the rest of Tamriel, or somethin' like that," she muttered.

He gave a very faint nod. "Still... if you could go to this place and see him..." His eyes remained upon her. "Are you like Miraak?"

"I ain't bent on enslavin' an entire land, if that's what ya-"

"I mean are you Dragonborn."

The term made her eye twitch, but she nodded. "Aye. I am Dragonborn, much as I don't like it..."

The comment made his brow raise, but he didn't inquire further. "Then perhaps... you are connected with him, in some manner. The tales, after all, say that he was Dragonborn... the First, at that."

"What's it mean, then?" Mia asked quietly. "T'be Dragonborn?"

"I do not know," he replied just as quietly. "In the instance of dealing with Miraak, it may mean you could save us... or you could destroy us."

"That ain't much help," she grumbled. "Still, I ain't got plans t'destroy yer people, so don't worry 'bout that."

"I thank you for that," he said with the faintest of smiles. "Even so, our time draws short. Those of us that reman here are free from Miraak's control; I fear we will not remain so for much longer." His eyes flicked to the northwest. "To the northwest, there is an old dragon's lair, called Saering's Watch. You must go there, and learn the word Miraak learned so long ago. Once you know it, use that knowledge upon the Wind Stone, and we shall see what it yields us."

"I don't see how that's gonna help," Mia said flatly.

"You may yet be capable of freeing our people from his control if you do. It all depends on what the nature of the word is. If it was this word that enabled Miraak to enslave the Skaal, and the people of Solstheim, then perhaps you can turn it against him - and set them free."

"And if not?"

"Then we may well have already lost. Would you accept that so readily?"

"I... no. If it means freein' Solstheim from his control, then I may as well give it a shot, aye?" She forced a smile, unwilling to travel to a dragon's lair alone... especially considering the return of dragons. She'd fought dragons alone before, of course, but it was so much easier to fight alongside someone else. Her gaze turned to Frea. "Might ya be willin' t'come with me?" she asked.

Frea shook her head lightly. "I must stay behind, and help my father hold this barrier for as long as possible. If I don't, you may yet find two of your friends enslaved by his control." She gave Mia a look that bespoke her regret. "Though I do wish I could join you, my friend. I am curious to see what happens, but my place, for now, is here."

Mia nodded slowly, and turned her gaze to the northwest. "Well 'en... guess I'm off for Saering's Watch. Wish me luck, aye?"

"Yes," Frea said. "All-Maker guide you."

Mia wanted to ask, but decided time was of the essence - and that if she decided to ask, she'd just make it into a reason to avoid going to a dragon's lair alone.

* * *

She was fortunate Storn had seen fit to describe Saering's Watch as a dragon's lair; she hadn't thought to have him mark it on a map, or even provide her with one; she had no map of Solstheim with her... Adalla had that, being the literate one of the pair.

As she'd traveled blindly to the northwest, though, each step had become more assured that she was doing the right thing, that this word of power at Saering's Watch would break Miraak's control of the Skaal at the Wind Stone... and then, his control over Adalla at the Earth Stone.

As she traveled up the steep hills, she found her thoughts wandering to the flashback she'd had when she'd awoken, after her encounter with Miraak and those... tentacled fiends. Those memories of her past hadn't come to her in some time now... so why were they starting to come back now? Was it a sign of sorts?

She heard the unmistakable roar of a dragon, and felt her heart soar; at least she'd been going in a generally right direction. She just hoped she arrived at Saering's Watch, and not, say, another dragon's lair... though honestly, how many dragon lairs could there be in Solstheim?

As she watched the dragon fly over a mountainside, its gaze turned downward, she decided she didn't want an actual answer to that thought. She was more curious as to why the dragon was looking down. Was it killing things indiscriminately, as the dragons of Skyrim did?

She hid beneath a stone arch, and locked her eyes on the place she presumed to be Saering's Watch. There were figures moving about, in stiff, semi-jerky motions.

Draugr. So the undead even walked in dragon lairs. It had been a first for Mia, who was accustomed to dragons being intolerant of _anything_ else sharing space with it; she'd once climbed a mountain and found dead frost trolls at its summit, and stared down the dragon that had likely killed them.

She pondered letting the draugr kill the dragon, and then picking them off when all was said and done... but she instead decided that she'd not trust such a feat to the mindless undead. She readied her bow, nocked an arrow, and took steady aim, trying to lead the shot. She'd never been an expert at hitting dragons while they flew through the air; for such large targets, they were fast when airborne, and had a frustrating tendency to turn through the air at the last moment, usually avoiding her arrows in the process. As far as she was aware, neither the dragon nor the draugr were aware of her presence yet; she could probably catch the dragon completely off-guard, and deliver a critical blow while its attention was turned elsewhere.

There. The dragon hadn't landed, but it was hovering steady over the ruin, breathing fire down upon the undead within. Mia didn't waste time loosing the arrow, and watched the projectile sail through the air at the largely stationary dragon. She smiled as she watched the dragon roar in pain from the shot, though that smile faded quickly when the dragon's head turned to glare directly at her. It snorted in such a way that a small gout of flame escaped its maw, then flapped its wings and took to the skies once more, moving in those unpredictable circles again, becoming an aggravating target once again.

The draugr seemed to be aware of the shot from elsewhere, and were decidedly hostile to it, as well - for a couple of the walking dead stepped out of hiding, walking in her general direction. Fortunately for her, she'd remained under the arch, where the morning sun's rays cast her in shadow; they apparently couldn't see her so well just yet, though she knew that would change if she allowed them to get too close.

She nocked a second arrow, and took aim not at the closest draugr wielding a war axe - she had every bit of faith in her ability to kill that one with the melee weapon, or even shoot it down before it got too close - but rather at the undead with the bow and arrow. She smirked, fingers relaxing around the bow string.

"_Yol Toor Shul!_" The Shout came from behind her, and made her head whip around; this, in turn, caused her bow to shift, and the arrow, which had been aimed perfectly at the archer draugr, went sailing wide instead. The dragon had slipped behind her while she'd been distracted, and was attempting to catch her aflame. She had agility, though, and was quick to roll to the right, narrowly avoiding the dragon's Shout. She narrowed her eyes at the dragon, and reached for another arrow.

Then she heard the footsteps of the draugr with the war axe, and knew it was too close to be ignored. She glanced over her shoulder, then rolled forward, toward the dragon, then whipped around to face both draugr.

"_Iil Slen Nus!_" Once again, the Ice Form Shout was unleashed flawlessly, and struck both draugr dead-on, freezing them both solid. She knew it gave her position away to the other draugr in the ruin, but didn't care; she had to worry about the greater threat that she couldn't freeze solid.

"_Dovahkiin_," the dragon murmured before flapping its wings and taking to the skies once more; apparently, it realized the danger it was in if Mia won, and it wasn't so reckless as to give up its soul forever. It's entire demeanor shifted to bespeak caution, yet still a willingness to fight.

And yet...

Mia's thoughts turned once again to Miraak, who had _ridden_ a dragon. Could she manage that? He'd used no Shout to climb onto a dragon's neck... could she?

"Dragon!" she called out. "I'd rather not kill ya if I can help it, but if ya keep blockin' me way t'that word wall, I'm gonna hafta!"

She heard the dragon laugh at her from the air. "And what would you propose instead, Dovahkiin?" he called back.

"...Work with me. Miraak's-"

Apparently, uttering the name was a violent trigger for the dragon.

"_Miraak_," the dragon roared, as if spitting upon the ground. "You speak of the betrayer, the one who defied us thousands of years ago. You remind me of all the death he caused to all dovah. No, your words are useless, mortal; your weapons are more effective."

Mia cursed as the dragon hovered in front of her, his eyes glowing with fury. He opened his maw and inhaled sharply...

Only to find an arrow soaring into his mouth. He tried to close his jaws before it entered, but the arrowhead buried itself in the much, much softer insides of his throat. He roared in agony, wings faltering a little. It was enough; the dragon, his wingbeats weakened even temporarily, crashed to the ground. His head flailed from side to side, as if doing so would dislodge the arrow from inside his throat.

She took advantage of the situation to approach with her shield and war axe at the ready, and bashed her shield against the side of his head once it had come her way, then stopped. It didn't do much damage, but it did draw his attention to her.

"Last chance t'let ya help me put an end t'him," she said softly. "I ain't his friend; the bastard tried t'have me killed."

The dragon stared at her, then looked away from her. "Kill me," he managed; apparently, her arrow had damaged his ability to speak with the ease he had. "Absorb my knowledge of the word _Gol_, etched on the wall... and take that step toward crushing the traitor."

"But what if ya flew me around-"

His eyes glared at her. "You are unworthy, Dovahkiin; offering my life... is insult enough to me."

She sighed, and locked her eyes with his. It was the first time she'd actually ever spoken with a dragon without Shouting at one. It was... a unique experience, and opened her eyes to the fact that dragons were _not_ mindless beasts, but very intelligent creatures capable of conversation.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before driving her war axe into the dragon's eye. She continued to rain blow after blow upon the vulnerable spot, trying to reach his brain and end him quickly as a result; she wished she had a sword to thrust with instead of a war axe to slash with.

Eventually, the bludgeoning proved enough to kill him; his last sound was a snort that sounded like it was derisive, full of contempt for her. Even as his scales started to crackle and burn, she couldn't help but feel... insulted... wounded, even, from such a reaction. She'd been looked down upon before, but she'd offered the dragon a chance at retribution for his fallen brethren; surely he would have wanted it?

How did Miraak do it? He was a _traitor_ to dragonkind, and yet he was able to ride one; she wanted to defeat him, but she couldn't even convince a dragon to keep from attacking her.

Pain exploded from her right shoulder as she began to absorb the dragon's soul; she knew the process was largely automatic by this point, and that all she had to do was survive. Her left hand dropped her shield and went to grab the wound - but was met with an arrow sticking out of her shoulder.

The draugr. She'd completely forgotten about...

She cursed quietly, transferred the war axe from her right hand to her left, bent down to scoop up her shield clumsily with her right hand, and turned her attention to both of the draugr she'd frozen - now free of their icy prisons. She charged at the one closest to her, wielding the war axe, and swung her own axe at its neck. She felt a grim satisfaction as the ebony cut cleanly through the undead fiend's neck, severing its head from its body, then switched the weapon's direction and drove it, as hard and fast as she could, directly down its now exposed neck, trying to cleave the draugr in half. The axe stopped about halfway, but she knew it was dead; it had stopped moving altogether, and was collapsing now.

She heard the twang of a bowstring, and whipped around fast enough to use the now destroyed draugr to block the next arrow. She wrenched her axe from the draugr's body, and charged at the archer as it began to ready another shot. She swung her axe at the archer, and smiled grimly as the sharp edge severed the bowstring effortlessly; the draugr, now without a ready weapon, dropped the useless bow and reached for the sword at its waist.

She denied it the right to even draw the weapon by striking viciously at the walking corpse's neck, severing its head in an almost identical fashion to the first; she followed it up with a spinning kick that sent the rest of its body flying away from it, then planted her feet firmly in place to watch it tumble around like a rag doll.

The entire fight hadn't gone unnoticed, however; more draugr had stepped out of the ruin, all with their own weapons drawn: greatswords, battleaxes, single-handed swords, even a few bows were drawn.

"Fuck me," Mia grumbled, drawing a deep breath as soon as the words had left her throat.

* * *

Vernanye sighed contently as she sat next to the bonfire. It had been the warmest she'd felt in some time now. She still had to admit, she hadn't thought there'd be a town or village - whichever this was - so far from Raven Rock.

Still, it was barren. The people were seemingly fine with avoiding her, and she was fine with being avoided; she wanted no trouble with them, knowing that they lived here and were armed, while she... was inferior to them insofar as their circumstances. She had her magic, true, but she didn't want to kill these people who had silently granted her the warmth of a bonfire and general hospitality... although that didn't seem to extend to food, water, and shelter. It appeared as if there was no inn here, and so she'd get a chance to rest properly at Raven Rock.

She'd taken the time to kill a few wolves while she'd traveled from the site of her wrecked boat, and had gone even further to claim their pelts for herself; now, she was ready to test her memory on how to craft simple armor. Hide, leather... something of the sort. Anything to get her out of her damp and cold clothing, and into armor better suited to the elements. She'd tried approaching the inhabitants of the town for a refresher, but they continued to ignore her; she'd hoped for the help, as their own heavy fur attire seemed as if it would be infinitely more comfortable both in Solstheim and in Skyrim, and wanted some just like it for herself.

Once she felt sufficiently warm, she began to make her way to the forge quickly. She was ready to try her hand at smithing for the first time in decades; she hadn't had to do anything of the sort since her basic training as a soldier of the Thalmor, where they'd expected her to, at the very least, have an understanding of crafting hide armor. At the time, she'd taken it a step further and shown mastery for leather armor, impressing her instructors... so it was humiliating and comical that she couldn't remember how to craft leather armor right this instant. Hide armor, however, was starting to come back to her... so she decided that a bit of hide armor would suit her well.

* * *

Mia collapsed to her knees as the last draugr fell, eyes closed. She'd taken a worse beating than she'd expected, and had been shot two more times besides. Still, she was alive... and that was all that mattered.

She wouldn't be alive if she didn't begin treating her injuries immediately, though. The draugr weren't smart enough to poison weapons, fortunately, but that didn't mean she couldn't get the injuries infected by any contagions that may have stained their weapons throughout history.

She had removed all three arrows - the one from her shoulder, and the other two from her left thigh - and gripped her thigh firmly; as it had the greater number of wounds from the arrows, it was that she worried about the most.

As she set about treating her injuries with healing and cleansing solutions, as well as generous amounts of bandages, she found her mind wandering once more.

She'd long hated being Dragonborn. For so long, she'd decided she didn't want to use the Voice unless it would absolutely save her life; she would argue she still did... but she'd never Shouted twice in a single location. She wondered if she would have suffered as much as she did if she hadn't frozen the gang of draugr that had appeared after she'd slain the dragon and the two draugr that had caught her by surprise, but she reasoned that she'd have probably died if she hadn't; her injuries were fairly bad as it was.

As she drew the bandage tight around her thigh, wincing a bit at the pain from it, she wondered if Miraak would have managed any better. Did he suffer as she did, trying to reach this word of power she was trying to reach? Or did he carve his way through the draugr and dragon both with ease, taking not so much as a scratch all the while? Or had he even persuaded the dragon to stand aside, and done the same with the draugr?

Was she truly Dragonborn? If she was, what did that make Miraak? A... 'Super Dragonborn', or something? A Dragonborn Lord, or Dragonborn King? Either way, she knew she was severely outclassed by him; she hadn't even been able to stand after a simple spell! Never mind his Shouts, or the fact that he could ride a dragon... he'd defeated her with a single spell. She'd been powerless to do anything but yell at him and stand her ground defiantly.

Her fingers stilled as she prepared to tie the bandage around her arm, and for a moment, her gaze flicked to the bandage she'd tied off around her thigh. What if she just... died? Here and now, succumbing to the cold and her injuries? She wouldn't have to face her weakness then. She could let Miraak be someone else's problem. Frea seemed capable enough; perhaps she could cut the First Dragonborn down as Mia had not been able to. If he dared to reach beyond Solstheim, perhaps Runael would even throw her might as Arch-Mage of the College against him, and would laugh defiantly at his single spell while she blasted him into Oblivion with some Master-level fire spell that would leave nothing but dust where he once stood.

The more she thought about it, the more tantalizing the thought of just... letting go became. In fact, she let the bandage around her arm fall away from her injury, and her fingers even began to untie the bandage at her thigh. She was doing the right thing, she knew she was. She'd been wounded in battle, and hadn't been able to move easily; the cold then claimed her life. There would be no way anyone could dispute that hers was a heroic death, and not the cowardly option of giving up that she actually was pursuing.

Still, was it cowardice when she was powerless against the threat that controlled Solstheim from _afar_?

_"Because we're partners. If we fall, we fall together; if we succeed, we succeed together."_

Those words... they had been spoken what felt like months ago, but it hadn't been all that long ago. Adalla... she would understand... wouldn't she? She would know what happened at Saering's Watch, would see the dead dragon and draugr, and know that it was too much for even Mia to deal with and survive... right?

As the thoughts crossed her mind, though, Mia shook her head. She began to tie the bandage at her thigh again.

No. She wouldn't give up. Up until now, she'd been fighting to free her partner from Miraak's control. She'd braved a corridor of traps for Frea. She'd frozen a draugr overlord in place and executed it in one blow even when it had disarmed her. She'd just butchered a dragon and the draugr infesting its lair, by the gods, for the Skaal and the people of _Solstheim_.

If she gave up, wouldn't all of that be for nothing? If she was to die against Miraak, she'd at least do everything she could - no matter how outmatched she may be against him - to inflict grievous wounds upon him before she drew her last. She'd have Adalla at her side, if all went well, and would have her support for that, as well. Mia could only do so much alone, but with Adalla, she felt... unstoppable. Nothing could slow her down, nothing seemed threatening or intimidating. If she'd never met Adalla, she'd never have even gone to Solstheim; Miraak would probably be coming to Tamriel again much sooner than he would if she intervened.

If not for Adalla, she'd never have been able to break the Thalmor's barricade outside Windhelm, assuming she'd even been in the area.

Without Adalla, she'd be... _nothing_. Just a lonely wanderer, making her way through Skyrim, living one day at a time, no real direction in mind.

And yet, here she was now, trying to _save_ people _willingly_... because it was the _right_ thing to do. She was in Solstheim because Adalla had convinced her to come and put an end to whatever nonsense Miraak had planned. She had met Frea because of that, had learned a bit more about the capabilities of Dragonborn from Miraak.

She couldn't die, not now. She had to save Adalla first, and then do everything in her power to put an end to Miraak. Then, and only then, could she think about dying.

As she finished treating the rest of her injuries, and stood shakily on an aching left thigh, she made her way slowly - but surely, and with purpose - toward the stone steps that would take her to the word of power she'd come here to learn.

If this word of power would set the Skaal free, it would also set Adalla free. She didn't just need to learn this word now... she _wanted_ it. She wanted to learn it, to spit in Miraak's face when she Shouted it, to undo his work in Solstheim and laugh defiantly at him while he cursed her interference from... wherever he was.

And she would do all of that... she _could_ do all of that...

Because she was Dragonborn. Even as she approached the glowing rune of power, she still wasn't sure she understood what it meant to be Dragonborn... but she was Dragonborn. There was no disputing that any longer.

Mia was Dragonborn, and would use that fact to her advantage in order to defeat Miraak.

* * *

_**A.N.** - Huzzah for a first glimpse into Mia's past! It's short, yes, but I didn't want to go TOO deep into her past just yet._

_I almost didn't include the moment where Mia contemplated just giving up. I thought 'it would make her seem too weak'... but then I realized that it actually kind of FIT the moment. Battered by draugr, alone in the cold of Solstheim, and with just a small window of time to treat her injuries and otherwise address the dangers the environment alone posed her? Of course, her thoughts were on display for everyone to read, so you know how she arrived at the thought._

_Vernanye survived, and made her way to the Skaal village. I didn't feel too comfortable adding this part, primarily because I'm not sure how the Skaal react to strangers wandering into the village; I have yet to visit before I go to the Temple of Miraak. One day, I will, but until then it seemed like 'leave us alone, we'll leave you alone' fit best. She's up to no good, of course - not with the Skaal, but just in general. You'll see what she's up to several chapters from now._

_-Spiritslayer_


	4. Chapter 4

As Mia approached the Wind Stone, she felt her resolve begin to waver. The word of power - _Gol_ - was easy enough to learn, coupled with the knowledge of the dragon she'd slain at Saering's Watch, and she knew she had the ability to use it...

But would it be enough? Would she be able to free the Skaal from Miraak's control if she used it on the Wind Stone? Was she strong enough to make it work?

All she could do at this point was try. If it worked, then she had the means to free Adalla, and the rest of Solstheim. If it didn't...

No. She couldn't think like that. She had to believe in herself. She'd had doubts the Ice Form Shout would work each time she'd used it, but it always worked beautifully and effortlessly; she could and would make this new Shout work, this... 'Bend Will' Shout. She had to. Even if she had to Shout it at the top of her lungs, scream it at the Wind Stone for hours on end... she would make it work.

She heard the chanting of the Skaal, and tensed. The grip on their minds and bodies remained firm; she wondered if Adalla was still... she put it from her mind, and locked her eyes upon the Wind Stone, from which that green pillar of light Frea had pointed out was still radiating. She wondered if the green light was coming from whatever was corrupting the Wind Stone... and if it would disappear if she purified the stone.

They had made very little progress since she had first passed it. She felt very slightly guilty to interrupt such work, but she reminded herself it was being done against their will, and that they didn't want to be constructing... whatever it was.

She drew a deep breath, focused her mind on the as-yet unfamiliar word...

"_Gol!_"

She watched a blast of golden energy fly toward the stone, and crossed her fingers, hoping it would work. She _needed_ this to work.

At first, nothing notable happened. Mia's heart sank; did it fail? Did it not work as she hoped? Did she not do it right?

Then, the small archways surrounding it began to glow orange, as if it were fracturing. She held her breath as she watched the glow intensify... then let it out as the archways all but exploded, chunks flying everywhere. She lifted her shield to protect herself from the flying debris, and felt quite pleased; the stone had been-

She heard an unfamiliar sound now: something like a roar, although it was... otherworldly. She lowered her shield - and felt her jaw drop, her eyes widen.

A... _monster_ was next to the stone, and was starting to attack the Skaal surrounding it. She was paralyzed temporarily in fear, completely unfamiliar with this... this... _fiend_ standing before her. When she sprang into action again, she had dropped her shield and drawn her bow, nocking an arrow and taking careful aim at the monster. After a moment's pause, she fired the arrow and hoped it would drop the monster instantly.

Her heart sank as the arrow pierced the monster's head, and made it roar in pain to turn toward her... and didn't seem otherwise fazed. She'd drawn its attention from the battered Skaal, and probably saved their lives... but would she survive in turn, and kill this thing? She rapidly drew another arrow as it stomped toward her, and fired at its leg, trying to cripple it. The arrow sank into what she thought to be its knee, but the monster, undaunted by the shot, continued to advance on her.

With it closing the distance so quickly, she had no choice; she cast her bow aside without a thought, swooped down to pick up her shield, readied her ebony war axe, and prepared to go toe-to-toe with this unfamiliar foe. It swung its arms to the right side, then swung both at her with what she sensed to be terrifying force. She took a few steps back to avoid the blow, suddenly thinking the shield wouldn't block a blow that heavy efficiently. As the monster's blow swung harmlessly past her, she stepped in to bury the axe's sharp edge in its leg.

The monster's right arm swung back abruptly, catching her square in the stomach. She lost her breath then, and was sent flying away. She'd been right; this monster's attacks _did_ hurt... probably just slightly less than a giant's own. There was little point in blocking; she would just end up staggered by the impact. She rolled onto her front, and pushed herself up onto her feet shakily. The monster remained in place, and made Mia wonder if it had any other tricks up its proverbial sleeves.

Once she steadied her stance, the monster reared back, and spewed what appeared to be a mass of... tentacles at her. She blinked as it soared through the air at her, and dove forward, bracing herself so she could roll forward onto her feet. She heard a messy 'splat' behind her, and glanced behind her at the point of impact. It was... bizarre, and she wondered if it would have hurt if it hit her... if not, what was the point of it?

A few heavy stomps toward her jerked her direction back toward the monster, and she stood, ready to duck and weave her way around this monster. She wouldn't fight it at range and risk finding out what this thing's ranged... spit did. She couldn't take those hits, but she could avoid them; she was nimble enough.

She ducked and rolled beneath the monster's next swing of its arms, and delivered a slash with her war axe as the opportunity presented itself; she then prepared herself for another dodge, knowing her attack didn't do as much damage as she'd have liked.

What she didn't expect was to see the monster lift one of its feet up high, and stomp down with horrifying intensity. She didn't want to know just how strong that stomp was to be hit by directly... but the shockwave from the impact shook her and unbalanced her nonetheless. She tried to steady herself once more, but by the time she did, she was face-to-face with the monster again. She continued to dodge the monster's swings and avoided the stomps as best she could, trying to minimize the effect of its shockwaves.

She felt her own strength starting to wear down after a time, and knew she was getting exhausted; in contrast, the monster didn't seem all that exhausted. Right now, she was at a disadvantage, and unless something turned in her favor very soon, she would inevitably lose to this thing. She contemplated going for range again, but wondered if the monster's tentacles would hurt more, or even incapacitate her.

Mia blinked as the monster roared in agony, seemingly from nothing - but a glance behind it told her that the Skaal she'd kept alive had rejoined the fight, wielding what weapons they could find in the area. Now, the monster was outnumbered; it was just a matter of Mia avoiding the monster's blows now while the Skaal killed it for her.

After what felt like hours, the monster collapsed, roared defiantly once more... then fell completely still. Mia, exhausted from dodging and blocking the attacks she'd been unable to avoid, fell to her knees.

"I hope there ain't more of these things..." she grumbled under her breath, replacing her ebony war axe at her side with a shaky hand.

"Here." One of the Skaal reached out toward her to help her up. "Thank you for coming to our rescue, and for keeping it distracted."

"No worries. Yer welcome." She took the Skaal's hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She stumbled a little uncertainly, but caught herself. "Mind if I borrow yer shoulder for a few moments, least till I get me strength back?"

"Not at all. It's the least I can do for you." The woman smiled at Mia, wrapped her arm around Mia's shoulders, and guided her back to the village. "The Wind Stone is purified now, I can feel it. That monster was infesting it, I suppose."

"That monster were a minion of Miraak, then," she muttered. "He were the one controllin' y'all, so if that monster were guardin' or controllin'..."

"Miraak." The Skaal spat on the ground. "His voice still echoes in my mind, even now, but at least I don't hear him so clearly. It'll go away with time, thanks to you."

"Would that could be said for these aches," she muttered.

* * *

"You have prevailed. I can feel it." Storn smiled at her as she returned to the village, leaning on the shoulder of one of the Skaal accompanying her.

"Aye. The Skaal are free of Miraak's control." Mia looked at the Skaal who'd loaned her her shoulder the entire trip back, smiled, and shifted so she was leaning against the corner of the house closest to the blacksmith forge. Her attention turned back to Storn, and to Frea, who was approaching as well.

"You have proven yourself an ally to the Skaal... and we shall return the favor to you, my friend." Storn extended a hand toward her. Mia took it, and he shook her hand firmly. "You have my thanks, outsider."

"Call me Mia, aye?" she mused. "It be my name, after all."

"Mia, then." He nodded. "Still... you freed the Wind Stone and my people... perhaps you can do the same for the rest of the All-Maker's Stones throughout Solstheim. It may not put an end to Miraak's plans, but I have no doubt it will slow him down."

Mia shook her head. "That ain't enough yet. I need t'stop Miraak as soon as possible; now, at best."

Storn smiled wistfully. "I cannot aid you with that, I'm afraid. None of us can. No, the only way that you can defeat him, I'd think, is to learn what he learned."

"What can ya tell me 'bout this here book, then?" she asked, pulling the black book she'd taken from the temple out of her pack. "I found it in his temple, and it was this book what pulled me t'him."

"Miraak?" Storn touched the book briefly, then withdrew her fingers; Frea looked concerned for the brief moment he touched it. "This looks... nothing like a text of the Dragon cult... it is dark... unnatural. I want... I want nothing to do with it... but that dark elf wizard... Neloth... he came to us not long ago, asking about... those Black Books. He might know more about them... perhaps too much..." He sighed softly. "If you would seek him, seek him out to the south. Be careful, Mia. There is another force at work here... something darker and more malevolent than Miraak himself. I shudder to think what it may be." He clearly didn't wish to speak more of it, for he departed her company then.

Frea remained behind, and smiled at Mia. "From the bottom of my heart, my friend, I thank you for all you've done."

"Yer welcome." Mia stood up, and groaned softly. "Ow, me side..." she groaned.

"You are hurt?"

"Ya try takin' a monster's heavy hits to yer side when yer wearin' leather armor," Mia grumbled, "and tell me it don't hurt."

"Here, let me take a look." Frea extended a hand toward Mia. "I am one of the Skaal's shaman - a guide and a healer both. We have fought together once before; you know you can trust me."

"Aye, and I do." Mia nodded, and followed the Skaal woman toward a small hut next to a larger hall. "Yer home?"

"Yes. It is small, but it serves its purpose well." She opened the door, and gestured Mia inside. "What manner of monster was this?"

"Some... I don't know. Fish-like, I guess... wicked fangs, crazy strength... spat... tentacles, I think... was bizarre."

"Nothing I am familiar with." Frea reached out to unfasten parts of Mia's armor.

"Oy, hands off," she murmured. "I can do that meself."

The Skaal woman smiled lightly. "Apologies."

The Dragonborn began to remove her own armor, wincing here and there as the leathers pressed against her bruised body. "Oww... I ain't a melee fighter, I'm a ranger," she grumbled.

"You seem more like a huntress," Frea mused. "Were you Skaal, I think you would be one of the greatest hunters in our clan."

"Thanks... I think?"

"It is a compliment, my friend, do not worry." Frea reached out and gently touched a bruise at Mia's side. "That... looks painful."

"It hurt worse when I were fightin' that thing."

"I imagine so." Frea set about searching for tonics, poultices, and other such things to treat Mia with.

"...Ya fight pretty well, Frea, fer a healer. Where'd ya learn?" Mia asked, trying to make conversation.

"The former chieftain taught me. Skaf the Giant..." Frea smiled wistfully. "I miss him dearly. We all do. He was a great bear of a man, and a true warrior besides." She chuckled softly. "I was so terrified of him when I was younger. Even so, I was restless and fairly angry as a child. Skaf taught me swordplay so that I could... how did he word it... 'put that fire to good use'."

"Woulda liked t'meet him once," Mia said softly. "He sounds like he were a good man indeed. Like a second parent, maybe?"

"You could say that. Another father, in a sense, and yet not."

"What about yer mother, though? She ain't around?"

Frea's expression turned somber. "She... died. When I was much younger."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Mia said quietly. "If ya don't wanna talk about it..."

"No, it is fine." Frea cleared her throat. "Mother was caught in a snowstorm while coming back from gathering firewood."

"Kinda a strange way t'die, for a people such as yers," Mia mused with a wink.

Frea didn't return the gesture. "You must understand, Mia, that for the Skaal, life is an eternal hardship. We take nothing for granted... we cannot. Between wolves, the weather and all threats from the south, even gathering firewood can be fatal in the blink of an eye."

"So why are ya still here?" Mia asked, curious. "Why not move somewhere else, somewhere warmer and safer?"

"We cannot. We are... bound to this land." Frea smiled gently, fingers gliding over Mia's bruised side. "The Skaal are like a great pine with roots, running as deep as the tree is tall. I know it may be strange to you, Mia, but for us, the thought of leaving is... just as strange. The land and the Skaal are one. There is no other way to say it."

"Fair enough," Mia replied with a smile. "Guess it's kinda like how I explained, once, t'Adalla why I live in the wilds and not me home in Riften. For me, it's safer, for want of another word, than livin' in a den of thieves and avarice. In the wild, I ain't gotta worry 'bout thieves stealin' all I got... I ain't got much t'begin with, out in the wild. 'Sides, I've always been a free spirit; settlin' down in one home is just... t'me, it seems strange. I mean, I can understand people what settle down... it just ain't for me."

Frea nodded, and continued to apply a tonic to her side. "You have mentioned Adalla before now... who is she?"

"Me best friend and me partner." Mia drew a sharp breath as the bruise was pressed just a little too firmly, which told Frea to lighten her touch. "She's the one what's been enslaved by the Earth Stone... by Miraak. She's... she's the reason I'm here... in Solstheim. It were her words what made me even think of comin' up here."

"But you said you were here to get revenge on Miraak for-"

"Aye, I did, but it weren't the sole reason. I weren't lookin' forward t'fightin' the First Dragonborn then, and I'll admit, I still ain't. If I didn't know Adalla, I wouldn't be here... 'cause I wouldn't've bothered comin' this far on me own." She looked down at her lap. "On me own, back then, I were a coward. Adalla gives me courage, makes me believe in meself. I'd do... anything for her."

"She is the one you love?" Frea asked.

"Aye. Er, not like... not like that," Mia added quickly, noting the Skaal woman's expression. "We're close, like sisters, but it ain't like... like that."

"I do not judge." Frea had the ghost of a smile at her lips.

"I'm tellin' ya, it ain't like..." Mia sighed heavily. "...These Stones of yers... what are they, exactly?"

Frea chuckled faintly as Mia changed the topic. "The Stones are the All-Maker's gifts to us, and serve as conduits for these gifts," she explained. "There are six Stones in total: Wind, Water, Earth, Beast, Sun and Tree. You have freed the Wind Stone from Miraak's control... and you are familiar with the Earth Stone." Her expression darkened. "The Tree Stone is in Miraak's temple, and may be beyond salvation for now... at least until he has been defeated."

"And Water, Beast and Sun?" Mia asked.

"Scattered throughout Solstheim. Here, let me mark them on your map so you can find-"

"I... I ain't got a map of Solstheim," Mia admitted. "Adalla's got it. 'Sides, I..." She bit her lower lip. "...I can't read. I ain't even sure where this village would be on a map. I couldn't tell ya where Raven Rock is. Maps're useless t'me."

Frea's eyes widened at the revelation, and her fingers stilled upon Mia's side for a moment. She began finishing up with the injury, and as Mia pulled her armor back on, Frea procured a map. "We do not make much use of maps ourselves, but we have a few. Here, allow me to show you where they are, and where we are..."

* * *

"...I'm so lost," Mia grumbled, looking at the map Frea had given her. The symbols Frea had drawn upon the map - the Skaal village, Raven Rock, Miraak's temple, and each of the six Stones - were circled, with letters written next to the six Stones so Mia would know which were which; in the case of the Wind Stone, Frea had drawn a line through the circle, indicating that it had been purified, and thus didn't need to be visited.

Even so, Mia had no experience working with maps before. She didn't know where she was now in relation to the map; for all she knew, she was on the southern edge of Solstheim. Maybe she was near the Stone to the southeast; she wasn't sure.

She wasn't worried about her survival; she'd endured Skyrim for years, and all Solstheim did to her was introduce her to a few unfamiliar foes and wildlife. Still, she wanted to get to Raven Rock - and the Earth Stone... to Adalla. She wanted to make the most of their map, and get around to the other Stones more efficiently.

Still, she could see ash coating the ground in the distance, to the left. She was close to the southern side of Solstheim, at any rate... unless northern Solstheim had ash, but she didn't think so. She hadn't seen the northern coast, but from what she'd seen from Saering's Watch, it was almost entirely snowy. She knew Raven Rock was on the southern coast of Solstheim because of the ash.

She glanced at the map again, hoping against hope that she could figure out where she was. No matter how she looked at it, though, she had no idea. She was starting to wish she'd asked Frea to indicate where the ash and the snow were divided. Then, she wondered if Frea even knew that; did anyone? Was that standard for a map?

She fought the urge to crumple the map in her hands, but didn't know how else to vent her frustrations right now. Never before had she been so irritated at her illiteracy. Adalla had tried to teach her, and while she still gave lessons - or had, before she'd been ensnared by the Earth Stone - Mia knew it wasn't nearly good enough for her to read anything and everything. She'd never been taught anything about maps, either; it was just reading and writing that she was taught.

She remembered that Adalla had pointed out Raven Rock to the southwest, on the Northern Maiden. She glanced skyward, saw the sun in the sky... and knew the day had progressed quite a bit so far. So... that was west? If she stepped into the ashen fields, would she be able to just follow it west and find Raven Rock that way?

It was as good a plan as any, and she walked toward the ashen fields. It certainly looked warmer, but she knew it wasn't necessarily the case. It was still Solstheim, and it was still cold. Still, she couldn't wait to come across Raven Rock again, to find-

She blinked as some of the ash seemed to shift, not far from her. At first, she assumed it was just the wind, and turned her gaze away from it... but then she saw a shape forming... a humanoid shape. It was rising from the...

"Ash spawn," came a muttered voice from near her. "Careful with these."

She glanced to her side, not knowing who it was... but it was vaguely familiar. Still, now that she knew what it was called, she could guess what it was... and thus, how to fight it. If it was made of ash... no arrows would work, and blades would do little damage. The best way was to bludgeon-

"Frost magic, or the core." She heard a familiar sound of frost magic emanating from fingertips. "Both at the same time tends to be an instant kill, but not always." She watched a bolt of ice fly at the ash spawn, which had seemingly created a weapon crafted from nothing but ash and was approaching them both. The Icy Spear impaled the ash spawn in the head, which was where Mia presumed the core was located, and she watched the ash spawn fall, dead from the impact to its vital point.

"Er... thanks," she murmured, glancing to her side. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Wait, yer-"

She was looking at a high elf in nothing but hide armor that looked as if it was poorly made.

"It's been a while, Mia." Vernanye flashed a smile at the woman that didn't quite reach her eyes.

* * *

**_A.N._**_ - Vernanye and Mia meet up. This can't be good, can it?!_

_Had fun writing out the fight against the Lurker. I've always considered them to be immensely bulky and highly resistant to any sort of pain anyone else would take - even an arrow in the knee. (You see what I did there?) They do tend to take quite a bit to drop if you're fighting them in close quarters, as old-version-Vess can attest (though to be fair, she was in the level 20 range when she fought her first Lurker, so there was that). For Mia, caution against the first Lurker was the name of the game. She's seen enough hentai- I mean tentacles to know where that can sometimes lead to: immobilization, left at the mercy of anyone who happens to be nearby. (What did you think I was going to say? :P )_

_Is Frea fond of Mia - perhaps even a little jealous of Adalla? The truth is, yes; the way I'm trying to write Frea, I'm trying to write her as 'fond of Mia and subtle in her efforts to convey that to the Dragonborn'. Trying to remove the armor for Mia, coupled with 'I do not judge', were just a couple of the ways she tried to convey her affection. Will anything come of it in IAD? Well... that's telling, no? :P_

_To anyone reading All In as well as IAD, I do not have the next chapter of All In ready. I began to write it, but was feeling quite sick the past few days; I eventually stopped writing because I couldn't focus clearly on account of how much I ached all over. I put it on hold... and then the aches got worse. I'm feeling better now, but I wasn't able to focus on anything as far as writing goes. That said, while I'm still contending with a stuffy nose and a bit of a cough (thanks, seasonal allergies...), I'm well enough to write again, so I should get the fourth chapter of All In up in the next couple of days, I hope._

_I can only hope because I'm back with my old job. Not the one where I had two customers be so absolutely rude and negative - I'm not even going back there to EAT in the future - but the one before that. I found out just earlier today that I'm on the schedule for this week, after I approached them last week. In fact, I'm on the schedule for tonight. I found out four hours before my shift. (Talk about immensely lucky check-of-the-phone!) So I will be working again, but I don't foresee that interfering with my writing at all. Going back to this job was not my first choice, admittedly, but they've got... pretty much an all new staff, and they ALL need training... and a few people who know what the hell they're doing to serve as shift leaders for the evenings._

_Guess what I THINK I'm doing tonight, as an eight-month 'veteran' of this particular workplace, possibly among a group of no one but new people? (Hint: shift lead for the night? We'll see...)_

_Anyway, All In chapter will be up as soon as I can finish writing it, and hopefully I'll be able to keep on track with it. IAD's next chapter will be... next Monday (keep forgetting today's Tuesday...), so look forward to that then._

_-Spiritslayer_


	5. Chapter 5

_You are testing my patience, and making me think you are aiming to fail again._

Vernanye sighed heavily, fingers thrumming on the edge of the ship she'd secured passage back to Skyrim with. She'd been expecting Miraak to contact her soon; she hadn't been disappointed.

_'I lack the means to kill Mia now, as I am.'_

_Convenient excuse for your impending failure. You had her alone in the wild; you could have taken her by surprise._

_'She's too good for that. She's too... wary. Besides, you haven't seen what she's capable of-'_

_She is a weakling,_ he interrupted. _She could do nothing but yell at me when she braved Apocrypha for the first time._

_'Are you conveniently forgetting that you're Dragonborn, and that I'm not? That she, too, is Dragonborn, and that I'm not?'_

_Are you making up excuses for your dereliction of duty?_

_'I would think even _you_ would want to assure your longevity when faced with a superior foe!' _she snapped back mentally, not caring at this point how offended she left her master. _'I _will_ kill her, I can promise you that!'_

_You sail for Skyrim - and away from her. Why am I to believe that?_

_'There's something I need to do in Skyrim before I do anything else. If you're truly so worried about her, why don't you slow her down yourself, if you're truly so great as-'_

The tone was the wrong one to take; she felt something bombard her mind, and clutched her head firmly in silent pain.

_I will not tolerate those words or that tone, elf._ His own tone was dangerous._ I shall trust you have some sort of plan to deal with her, then, if you are headed back to Skyrim. If I find out you have simply run away, and she makes it as far as me again... once I have killed her, I _will_ be coming for you, and I _will_ make you pay for both your insolence and your lies._

_'Duly noted.'_ She felt the link with Miraak sever in her mind, and sighed heavily.

In truth, she had no plan. She was going back to Skyrim to contract vampirism once more, and would return to Solstheim once she had it. And yet... that would take time... much time. Would she be able to do it fast enough to return to Solstheim and figure out some miraculous plan to deal with Mia?

She couldn't deny she felt safer returning to Skyrim, but she also knew that that was because she knew Mia's power. Miraak could try and deny it all he wanted, but she was Dragonborn. Vernanye wouldn't stand a chance against an angered Mia if she tried it.

No, she needed someone or something with far, far greater power. Something that even Mia couldn't stand against... and, if Miraak came to be too irksome, perhaps even the First Dragonborn, as well... Surely Solstheim was home to such a powerful creature or person...?

* * *

"_Gol!_" Mia's Shout was filled with confidence as it connected with the Earth Stone. Her eyes were upon Adalla, who was hammering away at one of the arches being constructed around the stone. As with the Skaal, however, everyone present stopped while the stone reacted to Mia's Shout. The arches fractured steadily, and then burst in all directions, shards flying everywhere.

Before she could rejoin Adalla, however, who was looking quite confused, she saw a sight she didn't want to see again: another of those monsters appeared, and seemingly howled. The Dunmer formerly working the stone instead ran in fear, and Adalla panicked as well.

This left Mia as the only one with the clarity of mind required to face this thing. She knew she had to delay it long enough for anyone - Adalla, preferably - to kill it. To that end, she readied her war axe and her shield, and even banged the shield noisily.

"Hey, ya ugly bastard!" she shouted, rushing toward the monster. "I'm the one ya want, prick, so come and get me!"

The monster turned to face her, and snarled at her before lurching toward her, stomping heavily as it approached. She stood her ground, having past experience fighting one of these now, and thus knew what to expect. As soon as it was close enough, it lifted one foot high into the air, and stomped down hard. She dove between its legs and rolled onto her feet, slashing at the back of its calves with her war axe's sharp edge, trying to wound it. Although she saw injuries inflicted, they didn't seem to do anything to slow or otherwise disable the monster.

It stomped angrily, though, and turned to face her as quickly as it could. She glared up at it and snarled in an intimidating manner, then backstepped as the monster tried to slam its fists down on top of her, grinning lightly as its fists connected with the ground instead. She charged forward and hooked the war axe along its right wrist and drew the blade all the way up its arm to the shoulder.

She smiled in grim satisfaction as the monster howled in agony, and planted her feet on the ground as it wheeled around to face her. She spat at the monster, and smirked as the spit landed on its leg. It didn't seem to bother the monster much, though; it did lunge at her again, hands pulled back to either side. Was it going to try clubbing her on both sides?

She backstepped and watched the hands do exactly as she thought they were going to do, and reacted by slashing at its hands with the axe. She was getting accustomed to fighting these things now; the fact that her injuries from the previous fight were practically gone, too, definitely helped her situation. She had also figured out how to move more efficiently, so as not to tire herself out so soon.

In contrast, this monster fought almost exactly like the last one, and was thus predictable. As it stomped toward her angrily, she readied herself for what she knew to be the upcoming stomp, meant to knock her off-balance; she readied herself to dodge to its right side, in hopes of hacking at its right side.

She was quite surprised, then, when the monster comtinued to stomp closer to her, and lunged out with its hand. Mia had not been anticipating the reaction, and the temporary pause that resulted enabled the creature's hand to connect with her. She felt its grip close around her neck, and gasped as it started to squeeze. It was trying to strangle her, and it was tall and large enough besides to keep her too far away from it for anything she did to strike it.

"Mia!"

The voice was a relief for Mia to hear, and she cast a quick glance at Adalla, who was approaching with her shield and mace. Her own hands had dropped her war axe and shield, and was trying to pry the hand from her neck. Its grip was so ridiculously strong, though, that she couldn't budge the fingers. Her head was starting to swim, her consciousness starting to fade in and out. She was only faintly aware of the monster's body shifting, and was barely able to make out Adalla's mace descending on the monster repeatedly.

"Ad... alla... arm..." she gasped out.

The high elf didn't need further prompting, and redirected her blows to the monster's outstretched arm, bashing its arm ruthlessly. Mia felt the grip loosening, but also heard the monster's roar of agony; she also saw the monster's other hand lash out and grab Adalla by the neck, and suspend her in the air.

Fortunately for Mia, this redirection of attention loosened its grip around her own neck enough for her to breathe, and she made a split-second - and risky - decision. She reached behind her, took a deep breath to get fresh air to her body, and seized her bow; her other hand grabbed an arrow, and she nocked it and took the best aim she could.

"No one... grabs me partner... and gets away with it," she snarled, firing the arrow, point-blank, into the monster's eye - and where she hoped a brain rested.

The monster reeled in pain, and its grip released both her and Adalla; it staggered, then fell to the ground, laying perfectly still. Mia reached up and rubbed her neck, coughing; Adalla, too, was coughing and gasping for air. Both women just stared at the monster for a time.

"What... _was_...?" Adalla said between gasps.

"Still dunno, but I've fought one of these bastards afore." Mia grimaced. "Seems like they're guardin' these here stones. We got four... no, three more of these things t'deal with."

Adalla scowled, and replaced her mace at her side. "Great..."

Mia looked at the high elf, and smiled. "Yer free." She stepped toward Adalla, and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "I've missed ya. I've been so..." She wanted to say 'helpless'. She wanted to say 'lost'. She wanted to say... a lot, in fact, but didn't know what to say.

Adalla hugged her in turn, and sighed softly. "Why is it you're always saving me?" she murmured quietly.

"Why is it you're always talkin' t'people for me, readin' maps, and handlin' the stuff I ain't good at?" Mia replied with a chuckle. "We're just kinda... I dunno..."

"Ideal partners?" the elf offered.

"Maybe." Mia let go of Adalla after a moment's pause. "It's been... lonely without ya, Adalla. I've made a new friend, but-"

"That's a shock," Adalla said with a wink.

"Hey! I can make new friends! Thought I proved that when I befriended ya!" Mia protested.

She was surprised when Adalla kissed her gently on the forehead. "I was kidding," she said with a giggle. "I know you are. You're an easy person to talk with when you aren't losing your temper."

"...Yer embarrassin' me," Mia mumbled, hugging Adalla gently once more.

* * *

"Gods, Mia, but you are hopeless..." Adalla said with a sigh.

"Oh, c'mon. Ya know I ain't never been good with maps!"

Adalla was copying the map Frea had given Mia onto the map of Solstheim she'd purchased in Windhelm, from the East Empire Company. They were in the Retching Netch (Mia had laughed long and hard at the story behind its name, while Adalla thought it was just fabricated), sampling some of the drinks the Dunmer had to offer. Adalla had seen fit to start off slow, and was sipping matze here and there; Mia, on contrast, had downed one matze, one shein, and was workin on a second sujamma - and yet, she somehow remained clear of mind, as she always did when it came to alcohol.

"Alright... so let me get this straight..." Adalla finished copying the information down. "You've liberated the Wind..." She pointed to the location just west of the Skaal village, "and the Earth Stone?" She tapped the peninsula southwest of Raven Rock.

"Aye. Leaves just three more." Mia took a long draught of the sujamma.

Adalla frowned a little. "You were also told that the Dunmeri wizard, Neloth, lived in the south?"

"Aye, though it never occurred t'me t'check where exactly he lived."

"Lovely," the high elf said with a roll of her eyes and a sigh. "Well, at least we can disrupt Miraak's scheme in the meantime."

"Can't we just celebrate our happy reunion tonight?" Mia said. "I don't wanna focus on that crap right now."

"You _never_ want to focus on the important matters when they matter most," the high elf commented.

"Not true! I were focused on beatin' me way through the temple and cleanin' out Saering's Watch, plus beatin' out that monster at the Wind Stone!" she protested.

"And now that we're reunited, you're happy to just say 'screw it'?"

"It's just one evenin', Adalla." Mia finished her second sujamma, then crossed her arms on the table and lay her head upon both; her ponytail rested over her shoulder.

Adalla just watched Mia for a time. This woman, whom she still knew so very little about, all things considered, had gone to great lengths for her sake... the thought brought an affectionate smile to the elf's lips, though it faded almost as soon as it came when Mia burped rather loudly. "That's nice," Adalla muttered.

"S'cuse me." Mia closed her eyes, and sighed contently. "Gonna doze off, I think. I ain't had decent sleep since I got here; been tryin' t'get through this quick as possible."

"And yet, you want to sleep," the elf mused.

"Even the Dragonborn's gotta sleep sometime. 'Sides, I were tryin' t'save ya as fast as possible."

Adalla blinked. She'd never heard Mia willingly refer to herself as 'Dragonborn' before. "Mia..."

"Don't go takin' that the wrong way, either. Yer like a sister ta-"

"No, that's... well, I'm flattered, but... you called yourself 'Dragonborn'. You never do that."

"Eh?" Mia thought for a moment. "...Well damn, I did."

"Are you drunk?" the elf asked quietly.

"I just had four drinks, and yer wonderin' if I'm _drunk_? What d'ya think?"

"I think it's time I bring your drunk ass to bed," Adalla teased.

"Hey, my ass ain't drunk! The rest of me might be, though," Mia returned with a grin. Her grin faded slowly. "Since when d'ya say 'ass', or curse in general?"

"You're rubbing off on me," Adalla teased.

The woman shrugged. "Fair enough."

* * *

_"Work harder!" the slaver snapped._

_Mia, contrary to the order, was working slower now - not because she wished to, but because she just didn't have the strength to keep working. Each swing of the mallet became heavier, and tired her arms out. She was only a kid, for gods' sakes! How could they possibly expect her to-_

_She cried out as a whip came down across her back, the blow only slightly softened by the rapidly tearing shirt she was wearing. She whimpered a little, and slumped to her knees._

_"I didn't say you could rest!" the slaver hissed, bringing the whip down across her back with another snap. She cried out again, and fell onto her front, too exhausted to move, and in too much pain to want to. She felt tears sting her eyes as the whip descended a third time, then a fourth._

_"Enough!" Another voice had stilled the whip in the slaver's hand. "If you abuse the property, you'll break it. Broken property is useless."_

_"Labor is all she's good for!" the slaver argued._

_"Perhaps not. Perhaps we'll find another use for her." She felt hands - scaly hands, meaning they weren't truly friendly - gently grasp her shoulders, and pull her upright. "What's your name, slave?"_

_She didn't answer. She knew that once she gave her name, she was resigning herself to her fate. She'd sooner die than say her name. She was only fifteen, but she'd rather die a child than live forever as an adult slave._

_"Your name, slave. You will give it, or you will starve for a week."_

_The thought of being denied food for that long made her consider it, but she was determined to remain defiant. They could break her skin with the whip, they could break her bones with anything else... but they couldn't break her spirit._

_"Last time, slave. Your. Name."_

_She just stared into those reptilian eyes, allowing her defiance to shine through to her captor. Her gaze was broken when he slammed her head down, face first, into the ground and whimpered in pain._

_"Fine, then no food for a week. If anyone gives her food for the next week, then all of you will be going without food for a week, as well. Ask yourself, then, if such a sacrifice is worth it." With that, the man slipped away from her._

_Several of the other slaves approached the beaten Mia, but were stopped when the whip snapped through the air._

_"No. She is to lay there and suffer in the dirt, like the worthless whore she is." She heard the slaver spit on the ground, and tried to push herself onto her feet. The motion caused the whip marks on her back - all of varying degrees of healing - to twinge and ache, and that, in turn, caused her arms to quiver and shake. She couldn't hold herself up any longer, and fell to the ground with a 'thump'._

_After what felt like hours had passed, she was faintly aware of a 'psst' from her right side. She looked up, and at the one next to her._

_It was a young... but no, not even their young should be so close to the slaves, and especially not looking so concerned._

_"You're still alive," the young one said with a sigh of relief. "I was starting to worry you'd died..."_

_"Go away," she mumbled under her breath._

_"No." The other child circled around Mia, tail sliding along the ground as he moved. "I want to show you that we're not all bad, just... well..." He gestured toward the slaver, snapping his whip at another slave slacking off. "I've been watching you. You're... strange. You don't give in to the slaver's demands, and you protect your name with your life. Why is that?"_

_"If I give 'em me name, they'll take it away," Mia said flatly. "I ain't gonna let 'em take the very last thing what makes me ME away from me."_

_He nodded lightly. "Understandable, and commendable." He reached out toward her with a hand. "Would you introduce yourself to-"_

_"No." Her voice was flat. "Yer one of 'em. I swore, the day I were kidnapped, that I wouldn't tell _any_ of yer foul race me name, no matter what."_

_He looked wounded at her words, but nodded respectfully all the same. "I see the foulest of the foul have made you biased," he murmured quietly. "We're not all bad, though."_

_"Just the ones I see," Mia retorted._

_"Am I?"_

_"I..." Mia didn't know how to answer. He was certainly trying to be nice enough to her, but was it a trick? "...Don't know."_

_"Hmm... fair enough." He reached out and gave her shoulder a pat. "I need to go; the slaver's about to look over here, and I don't want to get in trouble." No sooner did the words leave his maw did she heard the slaver's voice call out to her._

_"Hey, slave! How long are you going to nap over there? You're looking at a lot of 'night shift' tonight if you keep that up!"_

_Mia forced herself upright, and staggered on her feet. As she steadied herself and prepared to continue working, she made a vow to escape this slave camp, and free as many of the others as she could from their slavery._

* * *

"Mia!" Adalla's voice snapped her awake, and she looked around groggily for the high elf. She found her standing over the bed that Mia had been sleeping in.

"Wha...?" she mumbled, her voice hinting at just how sleepy she still was.

"Are you alright?" Adalla asked, concerned. She pulled a nearby chair closer to the bed, and sat down, eyes on Mia.

"Aye, just tired. Ya woke-"

Adalla shook her head. "I don't believe you, Mia. You were... it sounded like you were... _suffering_... like someone was beating you..."

Mia bit her lower lip. Had her body expressed the nightmarish memory she'd revisited? Was this going to become a thing now, here in Solstheim? Would she relive her entire past?

Would she be best off fleeing Solstheim if it meant she didn't have to endure these memories again?

"Mia?" Adalla reached out and gave the woman's hand a pat. "You're quiet..."

"I'm tryin' t'sleep," she grumbled, rolling over. She didn't want to speak of her nightmare... of her past. Not yet. Not even with Adalla.

"You've been asleep for quite a while already. The sun's starting to rise; you went to bed a few hours after sunset." She heard the high elf sigh heavily. "Mia, what's wrong?" she asked quietly. "You've never been like this before..."

"It's nothin'," she grumbled. "Lemme-"

"No." She felt Adalla's hand clasp her other hand now, and squeeze firmly; she wasn't letting this go, Mia could tell. "You've never done this before... never sounded like you were in agony while you were sleeping. If something's wrong, then you can _tell me_, you know that."

"Mmgh..." Mia looked over her shoulder at Adalla, saw the concern etched upon the face of her best friend and partner. Her sister, she'd called Adalla when Frea asked. Could she share her past with the one person closest to her? She knew she didn't want to, but... would she?

Adalla bit her lower lip, and after a moment spent just watching Mia, the high elf sighed in a resigned manner. "Never mind. If it's such a touchy topic for you that you don't even want to talk about it with _me_, then I won't pry." She stood from her seat, and turned to leave... but looked over her shoulder at Mia. "You're my best friend and partner, Mia... but sometimes, it feels like... like I don't even _know_ you. What do I know about you, other than you're a wanderer of Skyrim, that you're Dragonborn, and that you're here to try and stop Miraak?"

Mia tried to think of other things she'd shared with Adalla, but found that... the high elf did indeed know next to nothing about her. She'd asked before, but Mia always shot her down.

"Exactly." Adalla sighed very softly, and began to leave Mia's room. "I'll be waiting for you outside the inn; we'll be heading up the western coast for the Stone there."

"Wait." Mia forced herself to sit up, and propped herself up. "Ya wanna know?"

"I do, but I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you, or pressuring you. If you don't want to talk about it, then fine; I'll leave it be." She didn't stop at Mia's words, and offered no further words to her partner as she left the inn.

It was Mia's turn to bite her lower lip. She _didn't_ want to share it with anyone, but Adalla wasn't 'anyone'. Adalla was... Adalla. Her best friend. Her partner. The one who'd kept her going when she would have otherwise given up.

Did that mean she owed Adalla the truth of her past? She never liked talking about herself much, though - not when it came to her distant past. She... _hated_ burdening other people with her past, and much preferred to carry that burden alone.

She forced herself out of bed with a groan. She'd just reunited with Adalla yesterday afternoon... had saved the one person she wanted to have at her side for this entire journey... so why did she now feel so... terrible? Why was it that Adalla's opinion of her was so important to Mia?

She stretched out, then stood up. She'd figure it out as they made their way to the rest of the Stones. If Adalla really wanted to know about Mia's past, she'd share it... not because she wanted to share it, but because Adalla deserved to know.

But didn't Adalla say she wanted Mia to talk about her past because _she_ wanted to? She did 'want' to, but she also didn't. Not with...

Mia ruffled her hair frustratedly, then began to run her fingers through it, working snarls out of her hair in the process. Once she felt it was done sufficiently, she pulled it back into her ponytail and held it in place with her hairpiece. She took a moment to make sure she had everything she'd need, that she wasn't leaving anything behind. Satisfied to see she'd forgotten nothing, she left the inn as well, ready to proceed on her... _their_ journey through Solstheim.

* * *

It was far easier fighting these monsters with Adalla there to fight it, as well... and yet, because Mia had gone toe-to-toe with two of these things before, she felt better being the one to keep its attention. She didn't think having Adalla keep its attention was a sound plan; she wasn't as agile as Mia was, couldn't evade its attacks as easily. This wasn't a dragon, or a gang of bandits or rogue mages; this was something even Mia had only faced twice before now.

Still, as comfortable as she was shooting arrows at enemies, she felt reassured that keeping its attention was best for both her and Adalla. She let the high elf attack the monster how she saw fit, whether that was with her mace or her own bow and arrows.

Eventually, the monster fell, leaving Mia safe to fall to one knee as she tried to recuperate. Again, she was getting used to this, but she was still somewhat exhausted. At least this one hadn't thought to try and strangle her; she wondered if these monsters had individual personalities and natures. This one had seemed rather defensive, more keen on protecting itself from harm than it was inflicting harm on Mia and Adalla both.

"I hate these things," Adalla muttered.

"Aye," Mia agreed. "Now imagine fightin' two of these things mostly alone."

"Hey, I helped with the second-"

"I said 'mostly'," she replied with a grin. "The Skaal helped me kill the first one, too. For all me evasiveness, I can't seem t'hurt 'em all that much on me own. I can keep 'em distracted, but me offense lay in me bow and arrows..."

"Then let me distract the next-"

Mia shook her head. "These ain't somethin' ya want t'experiment with learnin' t'fight. I underestimated the first one, and got a nasty bruise t'me side t'speak for it. They ain't the fastest things out there, but they hit harder'n most. If ya ain't comfortable takin' on a giant toe-t'-toe, ya ain't gonna be comfortable facin' one of these things up close and personal."

"They hit harder?" Adalla asked, sounding like she didn't believe it.

"No. They're a little weaker'n giants, but when ya consider they use their hands, whereas giants use clubs... well, one's rock and a weapon, the other's... not so much."

"True." Adalla pulled out the map of Solstheim, and examined it closely. "So, let's see... that leave three... well, two, more accurately, since you said the Tree Stone is inaccessible."

"Aye."

"And we still have no idea where to find this Neloth you're looking for, other than 'the south'." Adalla's next look to Mia was one of amusement.

"Ya know I ain't all that keen on talkin' t'wizards," Mia said defensively. "I ain't all that keen on learnin' more 'bout these books, either; I ain't got a clue what they're supposed t'be."

"Have you read it again?"

"Yer kiddin', right?" Mia said with a chuckle. "Ya know I can't read. I weren't so much readin' it as I were lookin' at the letters, tryin' t'make sense of 'em. And then they... well, symbols moved off the pages... reached out, grabbed me..." She shook her head. "It were weird, Adalla."

"It sounds it." The high elf reached out to rest her hand against Mia's forehead. "You're not on skooma, are you? Not in withdrawal from-"

Mia smacked her hand away lightly. "Stop that. Ya know I ain't interested in that."

Adalla smiled softly. "I know. It was a joke." She cast a glance at the monster, then sighed heavily. "Still... this makes the third you've faced... so it seems as though they do indeed protect these Stones from anyone trying to liberate them."

"Aye, and I'd bet me bow, war axe and shield that we'll find more of 'em at the other two."

"You'd sacrifice your weapons over-"

"I'm that sure we'll be seein' more of 'em," Mia replied. "It's just a sign that Miraak is indeed behind these things, and that whatever these things are may be... servants of whatever higher power Miraak serves." Her thoughts flitted to the strange tentacled monsters she'd seen when she'd first encountered Miraak. Would she be facing them eventually? Were they even capable of fighting? She shook her head; no, they were. They'd blasted her with shockwaves of energy and left her unconscious from the bombardment.

"Mia?"

"Eh?"

"I was asking if we should get..." Adalla let her voice trail. "...Something on your mind that you don't want to talk about?"

"It's... Adalla, it ain't personal when I don't share things with ya," Mia said quietly. "We all got things we don't wanna talk about, aye? Anyway, I were thinkin' of some strange monsters what were with Miraak when I first saw him. Had... tentacles, and they were fightin' with... spells, I guess. It was... odd, not bein' able t'fight back."

Adalla was silent for a good while while and after Mia had spoken. She'd opened her mouth to speak, but seemed to decide against it. She cast a glance at the map in her hands, and seemed to be contemplating their next move.

"Adalla?"

"We should visit this Stone next," she finally said, pointing to the stone furthest south from the Skaal village. "After that, we'll visit the last Stone," she indicated the one north of the first, "and then ask the Skaal about Neloth's precise whereabouts... assuming they know." Was it Mia's imagination, or was Adalla... distant?

"Did I say or do somethin' wrong t'offend-"

"You've done nothing," Adalla said simply. She folded the map carefully and stowed it in her pack, then started to lead the way; apparently, she'd figured out a path to the next Stone.

Still, as Mia followed her, she couldn't help but wonder if the fact that she'd 'done nothing' was the problem.

* * *

_**A.N.** - Adalla and Mia are reunited! But for how long...?_

_Vernanye letting Mia go was in her best interests, as she told Miraak. As mentioned, she doesn't have an exact plan, but she's resourceful. She'll figure something out - and it will not be pleasant for Solstheim on the whole. :P_

_Another glimpse into Mia's past. As an aside, I do not advocate child abuse, but it was the best way I could think of to vilify those that captured Mia and forced her into slavery (as if forcing a child into slave labor wasn't evil enough). I hadn't realized how long that particular flashback was until I'd finished reading it; I was hoping to go for something a little shorter. Still, overall, I'm satisfied with how it turned out - and think it really helps define Mia a bit more._

_Adalla isn't going to stand for the silence much longer, as you (the reader) are starting to see. Soon, Mia will need to make a choice - and it's not an easy choice for her to make. Will she make that choice soon enough, or will Adalla make it for her...?_

_This ends the five chapters I'd held in reserve for IAD. Which means I have to start writing again. Not that I have any issues with that, I'm just wondering which moments to choose, which ones to leave out, and how to approach the entire thing - plus, which of my custom plot ideas I include and which ones I don't. I have... as of now, two huge plot ideas I'm definitely going to include - one very, very soon - but don't know whether or not to add any others. I might. I guess I'll see where things go from here._

_All In writing hasn't been progressing. I started working again, at the job I believe I mentioned, and that, coupled with general exhaustion and basically saying 'we're taking your days off and packing them with work', has left me little time to actually WRITE. Never mind the gods-awful heat we had to endure last week. Thankfully, things are cooling down, and so my brain won't feel like mush when I get home and want to write. Hopefully, things won't get much worse than they are; I've got two stories to write, after all._

_-Spiritslayer_


	6. Chapter 6

Mia was nursing a particularly nasty bruise she'd sustained at the stone furthest south of the Skaal village. As with the previous three, she and Adalla had to fight another of those monsters - a 'Lurker', Adalla had begun calling them, owing to how they lurked below until the stones were threatened. This Lurker, however, had been far more violent than the other three; it hadn't tried to strangle the woman, but it did hit her pretty hard all the same. All but four of its attacks seemingly ignored the presence of her shield; two had landed on her right side rather squarely, and left the bruise she was now tending to.

Adalla, on the other hand, had her eyes on the map again. She was silent, and had been since they'd departed the western coast of Solstheim. Mia was worried Adalla was starting to drift away from her... to be honest, she was more than worried.

She was terrified. She didn't want to lose the best friend she'd ever had - the only genuine friend she'd ever had in her life.

"Adalla-"

"When you were told this Neloth lived in the south..." Adalla glanced up and looked south - sparing nary a glance to Mia. "Might it be Tel Mithryn he lives in?"

"Eh? Where's that?"

Adalla pointed south - to the strange, gigantic mushrooms on the southern coast of Soltheim. "According to the East Empire Company's map, that's Tel Mithryn - and the only settlement on the southern coast, besides Raven Rock." She glanced back to the map. "Though I can't say for certain it's where he lives... if it is, though, it would make more sense to visit him first, instead of purifying the last stone, then heading to the Skaal village... and possibly heading back south again."

"Mm, true..." Mia rubbed the bruise gently with a cloth soaked with healing solution. Although the injury was internal, and she'd taken a healing potion to address that matter, she knew the cloth would help relax the pain entirely. For now, it was simply a matter of waiting for the pain to fade away.

"Shall we?" Adalla put the map away, and looked at Mia at last.

"Not yet. Gonna give meself a few moments more t'let these here potions take care of this damned bruise... damn bastard..." she grumbled. "I swear, Solstheim's out t'kill me..."

The elf sighed, and sat down on one of the bigger chunks of stone that had fractured from the archways. "Let me know when you're ready, then." She turned her gaze back to what they both presumed was Tel Mithryn.

Mia watched Adalla for a time, and bit her lower lip gently. She'd said that the woman hadn't done anything wrong... but had she really? She wasn't so sure anymore... "Adalla... did I do-"

"No."

"But... ya been awfully..." She sought the right word. "Silent."

"I've been thinking." The elf's responses were short and rather quick; not once did she turn her gaze back to Mia.

"About?"

"Things."

The woman rolled her eyes. "I figured that much. What sorta things?"

Adalla didn't reply.

Mia had a sinking feeling she knew exactly why Adalla was so quiet. They were partners... but Adalla knew nothing about her partner. That had been because of Mia's desire to leave her past there. The elf had been understanding until recently... "What changed, Adalla?" she asked quietly. "Ya used t'be so... so _understandin_' of me reasons..."

"Are you ready yet?"

The deflection of the topic both stung and irritated Mia. She wanted to know why Adalla was so insistent on learning about her past, why she was so... "Ya ain't the same Adalla I knew," she grumbled under her breath.

The words, unfortunately for Mia, were not lost to the high elf's sharp hearing. Her eyes were soon affixed on Mia completely, staring at her with something quite akin to a glare. "Excuse me?"

Mia began to pull her armor on once more. "I'm ready t'go now. Let's get t'Tel Mithym and figure out more 'bout these damn Black Books." She knew she'd crossed a line, and knew things were going to be very tense between them, very strained. She also knew that talking about her past would likely... 'solve' the tension, but why couldn't Adalla understand that some pasts are just too painful to relive...?

At first, venting her frustration had seemed like a semi-good idea; now, she was mortified she'd ruined everything between them.

* * *

She knew they were on the right track when they'd spoken with Varona Nelas, the steward of Tel Mithryn; the conversation between Varona and Adalla had confirmed Neloth lived there, in the biggest mushroom in Tel Mithryn.

It had taken Adalla a moment to identify the means of ascending the mushroom home; the peculiar magics in the center of the home proved difficult, at first, to tap into. For Mia, on the other hand, it was much harder; magic had never been her strong point, after all. Still, she'd eventually figured it out, and the duo found themselves at the top - in uncomfortable silence, no less.

"You two again?" The voice was familiar, vaguely so. Mia looked around to try and identify the source - and felt her jaw drop.

"Yer Neloth?" she asked, eyes wide as she stared at the dark elf she and Adalla had spoken with at the Eartn Stone.

"I am, yes. I presumed you two knew that already." He crossed his arms slowly. "You two were at Raven Rock, correct? The susceptible high elf and the angry woman?"

"Yer one given t'first impressions, ain't ya, mister 'don't give a damn'?" Mia grumbled.

"I 'give a damn', woman-"

"Mia," she said, introducing herself.

"I just focus more on learning all I can about as much as I can." He cleared his throat, and looked at Adalla. "Perhaps your friend, Adalla, would rather speak for you?"

"How do ya-"

"You called her 'Adalla' at the Earth Stone. Or was I hearing things?"

Adalla sighed softly and looked around. "I don't know what Mia wishes to speak with you about, in particular. Not like she does. Bear with her, Neloth."

He looked between them, a brow quirked. "You two are... hmm..." He looked at Mia closely. "Well, what brings you this corner of Solstheim, then?"

"Black Books." Mia swung her pack around to the front, reached inside, and pulled out the book she'd taken from Miraak's temple. "I found this here book in that temple ya told me 'bout. It took me... I dunno where, but I saw Miraak. Spoke with him a little." Her fingertips hovered over the edge of the front cover; for a moment, she considered opening it again, but decided against it.

"A Black Book... what do you know of them?"

"Not a thing."

He nodded. "Fair enough. I didn't think a simpleton-"

"_Hey_," she growled.

"In any event, Black Books are tomes of esoteric knowledge - scattered throughout the world by Hermaeus Mora himself."

"Who is Hermaeus Mora?" she asked.

"My, but you are ignorant. Is it as blissful as the old saying claims it to be?"

Mia's war axe was in her hands almost a second later. "I dare ya t'say that again," she snapped.

"Did you come here to talk, or did you come here to fight? You'll find I can accommodate you quite well either way. Or did you not know I'm a master wizard of House Telvanni?"

She wasn't familiar with 'House Telvanni', but knew what 'master wizard' meant. She returned the war axe to her side slowly and with a grumble.

"It appears you're wiser than you let on." He cleared his throat. "In any case, Hermaeus Mora is a Daedric Prince, often associated with knowledge and fate. He has, throughout history, tried to seduce mortals into his service with the lure of forbidden knowledge. The Black Books are one such method he employs. As for where they come from, no one really knows."

"I know enough 'bout Daedric Princes t'know that they got their own plane they rule over. Ain't that where they'd come from?"

"Some think so... simple-minded folk, anyway. The truth is, it's not so much 'where' as it is 'when', or so it seems. Some seem to come from the past, some from the future. Time is, apparently, quite malleable for one who lords over fate and destiny."

She tried to ignore the jab at her intelligence, and was largely successful. "I'm gonna need t'find more of these books if I'm gonna beat Miraak. I were hopin' ya could help me find more."

"Now that's dangerous. Hermaeus Mora gives nothing away for free..." He tapped his chin lightly. "You could end up like Miraak, if things transpire that way. Hmm... two power-mad Dragonborn... could be interesting to behold."

"How did ya know I'm-"

"Not just anyone would dare stand against the First Dragonborn. Only someone who could rival his power would even bother trying."

Mia sighed heavily. "It's not really so obvious, is it...?"

"I'm a master wizard, woman, and even I wouldn't dare trying to stand against Miraak... not alone, anyway, and not if the tales are to be believed. He's said to have slaughtered many dragons in his time; I cannot say, as of yet, that I share that talent. That you're trying means you have the same capabilities as he." He regarded the Black Book in her hands. "Anyway, you are not wrong in your assumption. Black Books aren't all that difficult to find once you know how to look. In fact, I have one here that I've been using to that end."

Both Mia and Adalla blinked. "You have one of these... 'Black Books'?" Adalla finally said.

"Yes, I do. You didn't think I'd be idle while all of this fascinating madness consumed Solstheim, did you?"

"Can I have yer-"

"Believe me, my book is not one you're looking for. I'm rather positive it has nothing to do with Miraak. I do know where to find one, however... one that may be of help to you-"

"Why ain't yer book any help t'me?"

"It has nothing to do with the chaos consuming Solstheim at present. Excluding Hermaeus Mora; the Books are all his, after all."

Mia returned her own Black Book to her pack. "So what 'bout the one ya think might help? Ya know where t'find it - but ain't taken it yet?" She smirked lightly. "Guess even a master wizard's got limits."

He allowed a small grin. "Everyone has their limitations, woman. Those that don't are called 'gods'." He cleared his throat. "I haven't taken it yet because I can't get to it on my own. Perhaps together, however... we can unlock the secrets the Dwemer have hidden away."

"The Dwemer?" both Mia and Adalla said simultaneously.

"Is it really so peculiar? Forbidden knowledge was a specialty of theirs, after all... it makes sense they'd have something to do with the book. I know for a fact they claimed it; I'm presuming they did so to study it."

"So where's the-"

"I was getting there, you angry and apparently impatient woman." He cracked a small grin when she twitched angrily at the jab. "I found their... 'reading room' in the ruins of Nchardak, to the northeast of here. As I said, the book is there, but it's sealed away in a protective case. I've tried to get it open, but..." He shrugged it off.

"So if we get t'this... Nchardak, ya think we can...?"

"I don't see why not. I'm not going to pretend it's going to be safe; Dwemer ruins, after all-"

"Are dangerous because of them machines and traps, aye. I ain't new t'Dwemer ruins."

He nodded lightly. "To Nchardak, then?"

* * *

The trip through the Dwemer ruin of Nchardak had been... all told, uneventful. Nothing Mia hadn't faced in a Dwemer ruin before, barring the oddity of using cubes to manipulate water levels. The most difficult aspect of it, though, had been trying to keep Adalla safe - as she'd never seen a Dwemer ruin before. The Spiders, Spheres, Centurions - and a new construct Mia had never seen, that Neloth referred to as a 'Ballista' - were all foreign foes for Adalla. The Spiders hadn't been a big deal for the high elf, but one Sphere left a particularly nasty gash in her side. At Mia's recommendation, Adalla had taken up her bow and arrow when the first Centurion of Nchardak threatened the trio, and thus avoided what would have been a very painful first experience for her.

Once they had restored steam to the ruin - and to the reading room in which the Black Book Neloth had mentioned rested - it had been a simple matter to take the book and 'read' it.

The same sensation that had claimed her in the Temple of Miraak once again fell upon her, and she lost consciousness for a brief time.

When she awoke, it was to the same scenery as her prior encounter with Miraak. The pale green sky overhead, towers of... something a short distance from her, directly ahead... it looked similar, yet not identical. As she shifted, her hands dragged over something loose on the ground... floor? She wasn't sure. She did look down, though, and found...

Pages. In fact, the more she looked around, the more she noticed...

Pages. _Everywhere_. Fluttering through the air, as if controlled by a whirlwind, fluttering on the ground, ruffled by a breeze Mia couldn't feel... there were pages everywhere. The lettering wasn't legible to her; it didn't even remotely resemble anything she'd ever tried to read before.

There was something... else. A greenish liquid, that appeared as if it were water... yet she somehow imagined it was not water. At any rate, the tentacles that poked out of the liquid here and there told her she did not want to be in it for any reason whatsoever.

It was absolutely silent, save for a sound like pages being turned rapidly in a book. It echoed everywhere around her, making her think there was no single source.

As she pushed herself up and onto her feet, she took a closer look at everything else she hadn't seen yet. There wasn't much, save for a latticed... something, directly ahead of her, curled inward toward her. There were stone arches identical to what had been constructed around the All-Maker Stones - confirming that the Lurkers had indeed been minions of Miraak. A strange... she wasn't sure how to describe it. At first glance, it resembled a fountain, but there was no water, just a trio of spiky protrusions and a yellow orb between them.

This was the same place, no doubt about it... and more than that, she could move easier than she could the first time. She only hoped she didn't encounter-

"So... another seeker after knowledge enters my realm." The voice echoed all around her... or did it? There appeared to be... something forming ahead of her, in the air...

Eyes. Surrounded by tentacles. What was with this place and tentacles...?

"Where in-"

"This is Apocrypha, where all knowledge is... hoarded." The voice answered her question... or was it simply speaking on its own, ignoring her? "Perhaps you will prove clever enough to uncover the secrets hidden here... if so, welcome." A soft chuckle followed. "Or perhaps you are a fool, or a coward. If so, you are in peril, mortal. Read your little book again, and escape before Apocrypha claims you forever..." The voice chuckled again, but this time, it turned into laughter before fading altogether.

Mia knew she was no fool, nor was she a coward. True, she couldn't read, but she'd made it through life without that thus far. Just because there were pages everywhere didn't mean she needed to read to get through this strange place. Divines, she'd even reached this realm without actually _reading_ the book.

She was fairly certain this place wouldn't need more than her war axe, her shield, and her bow... it was just another... 'ruin', of sorts, to be conquered. This would be easy for her.

* * *

"She's insufferable at times, but she's got a good mind for combat."

Adalla wasn't really paying attention to Neloth's appraisal of Mia. She was instead looking at Mia's figure, ethereal, yet holding the Black Book. It was... unlike anything she'd ever seen before. What was happening? Was Mia... detached from this realm? Had her spirit been whisked away, or her body? Was she incomplete, or-

"You two have been fighting." Neloth's words snapped her back to reality, and were not a question. "I thought you two were so close that you'd risk yourselves for the other? She certainly was, when the Earth Stone had you."

Adalla didn't know if she dared speak of the matter with Neloth. He'd proven himself a worthwhile ally, but was he a friend? Someone to confide in so freely?

"Not that it's any of my business, of course, but I do find it bizarre that such a close relationship as your own would suddenly... collapse? And in what seems to be such a short amount of time, no less."

"It's..." Adalla wanted to speak of it, but at the same time...

"I'm not prying, mind you, simply observing. It's so very curious..."

She bit her lower lip, eyes still on Mia's transparent form. "...I don't know anything about her. I know her name, I know she's an adventurer, and I know she's illiterate-"

"She can't read? Odd... how did she get into Hermaeus Mora's realm, then?"

"She mentioned that she'd just looked at the symbols the first time she'd..." She paused. "Wait... she's in his _realm_-"

"Where did you think the Black Books took their readers?" he mused. "Of _course_ his realm. She's in Apocrypha, where... actually, her illiteracy may help defend her against some of his methods. He entices mortals with knowledge, as I mentioned before we left Tel Mithryn, and if she can't read, then she may be safe."

"May?"

"There are no guarantees, Adalla, not in his realm... and especially not if he decides to speak with them directly. He's already swayed one Dragonborn; I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that he could sway another."

She shuddered at the thought.

"So the base of the problem is that you don't know anything about her, beyond what you told me?"

Adalla simply nodded silently.

"And yet you two are friends. Curious. A friendship borne of fighting together, perhaps? Such things are not impossible, but are not true friendships."

The high elf nodded once more. "I know."

"So you want to know more, and... what, she refuses to share?"

"It's... it's something about her past. I want to know more about who she was, but she refuses to talk about it. She says it's painful to talk about. I haven't pried much-"

"But you've pried regardless," he pointed out.

"As her partner and best friend, I think I'm-"

"What, 'entitled'?" He chuckled quietly. "Oh, no. When it comes to information about someone else's life, Adalla, one is not 'entitled' to anything - no matter their relationship. If one does not wish to share, then trying to force it - however indirectly - is inconsiderate."

"It's just her past," she muttered. "How bad could it be?"

"If she doesn't want to talk about it, then perhaps it's far, far worse than you can imagine." He glanced at Mia's transparent form. "All I know about her is that she has a temper and can fight - and frankly, that's all I _want_ to know. Sometimes, the past is best left there."

"So you're taking her side," she said flatly.

He cocked a half-grin at her. "I'm trying to help you salvage what's on the brink of destruction. If she wants you to know about her past, she'll share... in time. Even _I_ know her well enough to know that that's how she thinks. Give it time, and the truth will out itself."

Adalla's own gaze flicked to Mia's transparent figure, and she bit her lower lip. Had she been pressing too hard - even with what she'd tried to make subtle pushes? Was it _her_ that was jeopardizing the friendship she had with Mia?

Was it her that was driving the two apart?

"Oh? Now _that's_... unexpected. I've never actually witnessed someone else reading a Black Book before, of course, but even I think that something must be going wrong with her." Neloth's tone was quite surprised, and snapped Adalla from her doldrums. He was pointing at Mia's transparent figure, as if doing so would instantly redirect Adalla's attention - and not just her gaze - to her partner.

It did, in a way - and it made Adalla gasp when she saw what was happening.

Mia's transparent figure was glowing a little brighter.

"What's...?" she began, though her voice trailed off.

"I'm not sure, but it's quite interesting... I'm curious to see what happens."

* * *

It hadn't been Mia's first fight against a Lurker.

It _had_ been her first fight against a Lurker... without any other help. It had been taxing, it had been long. She felt as if she'd spent more time ducking, weaving and bobbing between its blows than she did actually attacking it. Her agility and what attacks she could manage to execute did ultimately put the Lurker down, however, and left her feeling quite proud of herself.

Between the Lurkers and the other odd tentacled things - most of which she was able to just take out with a well-placed arrow from discreet locations - she wasn't having too much trouble. She'd only been caught off-guard a couple of times now, and she'd quickly recovered so the situation was in her favor once more.

She'd been right. This _was_ basically 'just another ruin'. The only thing unfamiliar were the foes, and she was quickly becoming more accustomed to fighting both types of foe.

So, the only thing she was still trying to figure out was the voice she'd heard when she'd first arrived in... Apocrypha, the voice had called this place. Was it Hermaeus Mora himself, or a servant of his? She wasn't sure, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

If Hermaeus Mora himself was speaking with her, she wasn't sure she wanted to be here much longer. She didn't like Neloth much, but knew that even he likely had a point when he'd warned against the Daedric Prince's methods.

Even so, she wanted to be in top form. To that end, she was taking a moment to recover her stamina; fighting the Lurker _had_ been taxing, after all, and if she tried to fight anything else while she was exhausted, it would hurt her more than it'd hurt her foes.

Once more, she found her thoughts drifting to Miraak... and to how she'd been likened to 'following his path'. Had he, too, tread this same course she was on? Had he fought Lurkers and the other strange tentacled things, or had he managed to persuade them to work with him instead of against him?

The more she thought about it, the more aggravated it all made her; not only that, it also made her head ache a little. She was so sick of it. Miraak, Hermaeus Mora, Apocrypha, Black Books, Solstheim... everything that had happened as a result of those two cultists attacking her outside of Windhelm...

She just wanted to get away from it all. Not for the first time, she just wanted to give up and pretend like none of it was her problem.

She shook her head. "No... can't think like that..." she mumbled. "I ain't come this far just t'let it all be for nothin'... I gotta see this through t'the end afore I give up..."

"Isn't it so much easier to just... let go, though?"

The voice that she'd heard when she first arrived echoed around her once more, made her jump. She looked around fervently for the source, agitated by the fact that, for now, it was a disembodied voice.

"You seek knowledge, and thus you came to my realm... some would call that commendable, some... foolish. Are you a fool, or are you to be commended, Dragonborn?"

She rolled her eyes at the use of the term. "Does everyone and their mother know what all I am now?" she growled.

"This is my realm, mortal... nothing is hidden from me here."

She couldn't think of a retort. "...So yer Hermaeus Mora."

"I am, yes. The Gardener of Men, knower of the unknown, master of fates. And you... you, mortal, are here for... what, exactly? Rare are the visitors to Apocrypha who know not what they want when they come..."

"I thought 'nothing is hidden from you here'," she shot back with a smirk.

"True, but sometimes, I like hearing my visitors admit their shortcomings."

She twitched, annoyed.

"And your own shortcomings are so very... intriguing. You, who cannot read, have entered a realm where knowledge is hoarded... and books are everywhere. You, whose ineptitude with speech, have barely managed to make a friend or two in your life."

"_Hey_," she growled.

"Even your past, in Ak-"

"Shut up!" she snarled angrily, hands balling into fists. "Ya say another word 'bout that, I swear t'all that's divine, I will find a way t'kill ya a hundred times!"

Hermaeus Mora's voice laughed. "Yes, your past _is_ a touchy topic... such that it's costing you what friendship you've attained. And yet... your past is also so very interesting..."

"Yer a bastard. Why ya bringin'-"

"You are weak, mortal. Strong of body, perhaps... but when it comes to matters of the mind, you are... inferior to the average mortal. How, then, do you plan to defeat Miraak?"

"With that damned Bend Will Shout!" she snapped. "Which yer gonna teach me!"

"I could, I suppose... but why should I teach someone who cannot even protect herself against simple things? When confronted with an enemy wielding a sword and trying to kill you, you are strong... but a book cripples you in so many ways."

She grit her teeth angrily.

"Even if I taught you the other words of power, you would still be inferior to Miraak. You already know his strength, having tasted of it once."

She wanted to rebuke that, but her thoughts went back to her encounter with the First Dragonborn. She had been powerless then. Was she still powerless now?

"If you wish to defeat him, you must address your weaknesses first. Otherwise, he will take advantage of them, and you will fail to stop him."

Her fists tightened a bit more, then relaxed slowly. "How can I get better than what I am...?" she asked quietly.

"Are you trying to insult me, mortal? You stand in Apocrypha, realm of forbidden knowledge. There is much you could learn here... much that you haven't even imagined possible. Even Miraak has not seen everything I have to offer... even Miraak is narrow-minded, just as you are."

"But..." She fidgeted a little, looking at the pages fluttering through the air. "But most of yer knowledge is in them damned books... and I can't read..."

"Many mortals are taught to do many things. Fortunately for you, mortal, reading is learned... meaning you are not beyond help."

She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure what Hermaeus Mora was getting at... or was she trying to dismiss something that sounded too good to be true...?

"I am not in the habit of simply giving away knowledge, but I suppose I could make an exception... you could learn to read here, much faster than in your own realm. I would permit you to remain until you are through..."

The offer was simply too good for her to pass up. She closed her eyes, then tilted her head back and opened them. A large eye hovered directly overhead, tentacles writhing this way and that all around it.

"Your decision, mortal."

* * *

"If I take the book from her, then would she-"

Neloth shook his head. "I would advise against it. There's no telling what taking the book from her, in this state, would do to her. Besides, I doubt you could even touch the book while she's in this state... perhaps it, too, is ethereal? Hmm, all of these 'possibly' scenarios... so intriguing!"

Mia's figure was glowing quite brightly now, such that Adalla had to shield her eyes to keep from being blinded; Neloth simply looked away from the transparent Dragonborn., and at Adalla.

"Enough of these 'intrigues', Neloth! Something could be happening to her right now! She could be in trouble, or-"

"Or perhaps she's on her way back to us now. As I said, I've never actually witnessed someone else reading a Black Book before... I only have accounts from other people to work with, infuriating though that may be. If only it were easier to study the effects of reading a Black Book..."

"To Oblivion with your research!" Adalla shrieked. "Right now, Mia might need our help! I am _not_ going to sit idly by while-"

Neloth's brow quirked. Were his gaze not affixed on Mia's transparent figure, Adalla would have suspected he took offense to something she said.

The glow was dimming steadily.

"What... what's happening? Neloth, what's-"

"Why do you insist on asking me questions about this procedure? I've never actually _seen_ it happen before, I thought I told you that already."

Too late did Adalla realize it wasn't just the glow that was dimming.

Mia was fading from view entirely, as was the Black Book. Without a second thought, Adalla rushed toward Mia's steadily fading figure, hands outstretched to try and grab her friend and partner, to try and do... _something_.

She felt a sense of utter helplessness when her hands passed through Mia, as if she wasn't there. Her fingers grazed the edge of the Black Book for but a moment, and she thought to seize it and take it from her friend's hands.

The helplessness grew exponentially when her fingers passed through the book itself this time. Already, Mia and the Black Book were but faint images in her vision now.

"What's-"

Before she could finish her question, Mia vanished from sight entirely. The Black Book remained faintly visible, and clapped shut audibly before it, too, disappeared from view.

Adalla could only stare in disbelief. That hadn't just happened. This was all some bizarre dream - no, _nightmare_ that she would eventually-

"A shame," Neloth said with a sigh. "It would seem as if she is beyond our reach now."

"Mia..." the high elf whispered, eyes closing slowly. She hoped that opening her eyes would reveal she was seeing things, and her eyes opened just as slowly as they'd closed.

Mia was still gone, as was the Black Book.

"Neloth... what... what happened...?" she asked quietly, no small amount of fear in her voice.

"The worst case scenario, I'd imagine. Hermaeus Mora posed a deal that gave your friend reason to trust him." Neloth's tone was no longer observational or dismissive, but rather... was he actually _concerned_?

"You mean..."

He nodded slowly and grimly. "Your friend has become trapped in Apocrypha. Without that Black Book, I doubt there's any hope of rescuing her."

* * *

_**A.N.** - From the very beginning, this is the route I wanted to take Mia's first venture into Apocrypha. I figured the lure of being able to learn ANYTHING, including how to deal with her glaring weaknesses, would be far too good for her to pass up._

_Of course, this does have negative repercussions for Solstheim! What do?!_

_With this chapter, the biggest concern was whether or not to write out the adventure through Nchardak. Part of me wanted to, and show how Adalla handles her first venture into a Dwemer ruin... but at the same time, with things tense between her and Mia as they are, it wasn't quite so easy; in fact, it was pretty difficult to figure up in a convincing manner. I didn't want to have them exchange verbal jabs; that would make things worse... but the alternative was silence, and the adventure would have gone pretty damn quickly in that case._

_Now one of my biggest challenges lays ahead of me... how do I get Mia out of Apocrypha? I have ideas, but I'm not sure which one I want to use..._

_-Spiritslayer_


	7. Chapter 7

The entire experience had been very surreal for Adalla. She hadn't known what to make of what she'd witnessed. Mia's transparent form disappearing, the Black Book snapping shut, then disappearing... and all she had were Neloth's words that Adalla's best friend and partner had been trapped in Apocrypha.

It had been at his suggestion that they left Nchardak, and the rest of their trip back to Tel Mithryn had been in silence.

Only once they had reached the safety of Neloth's inner sanctum did Adalla speak up. "Isn't there any way to save-"

"The only way to save her is to follow her into Apocrypha," Neloth said gravely. "The best way would be to follow her through the Black Book that trapped her, but as you're aware, that has vanished..."

"But... there are others, aren't there...?"

He nodded, but his expression remained grim. She didn't like it. "There are, but they may not lead you to where she was. Apocrypha is a large realm, understand, and the Black Books serve as... passages to certain areas. Unless you could fly, I doubt very much that you'd find her using another Black Book."

Adalla sat down wordlessly, shaking her head with a heavy sigh. Mia had been the strongest hope to save Solstheim from Miraak... perhaps all of Tamriel, at that. And now, she was gone...

"So that's it, then...?" she mumbled. "We're supposed to just... just accept that she's gone, probably forever...?"

Neloth stroked his beard thoughtfully for a time. "There... _may_ be a way..." he said slowly. "Although I cannot assure you that it's safe; in fact, I imagine it will be very much so the opposite..." He glanced toward a door through which he and Adalla could barely see through. "All Black Books lead to Apocrypha, this much is true. Apocrypha is Hermaeus Mora's realm... no matter where you enter it from. It's extremely risky and dangerous, and not without risk of losing yourself in the process... but it _may_ be possible to get him to return the Black Book... or perhaps even bring you directly to her. Maybe... even save her."

"You... you speak of bargaining. With a Daedric Lord." Her voice was quite flat as she said the words she dared not believe.

"I do, in fact, speak of such. Believe me, I would not suggest this were there any other way... but she was brought here to Solstheim for a reason. _You_ were brought here to Solstheim for a reason. I may be open to speculation at times, but even _I_ will not so easily dismiss this. You both came here to stop Miraak, and that journey took her to Apocrypha... and then she ends up trapped in the realm. I refuse to accept that as coincidence. Hermaeus Mora - or Miraak - have ulterior plans, to have trapped her within..."

Adalla thought for a time. Bargaining with the Daedric Lord which had all but imprisoned Mia in his own realm... surely there was no way she would have any better luck...? Not with Hermaeus Mora, Prince of Fates...?

"If only I could bargain with anyone else but Hermaeus Mora..." she said with a sigh.

"...Anyone else but..." Neloth's voice trailed. "There... and mind, this _is_ risky business I suggest, in and of itself... but there _is_ one who may yet possess the power to... sneak you in, get you the Black Book, whatever works..."

"Who?" she asked, sounding perhaps a touch too hopeful.

"Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince with whom many a mortal strikes a bargain. Oftentimes, they regret their decisions later... but..."

A Daedric Prince. Again. Yet this one _was_ familiar to Adalla as a Daedric Lord who specialized in bargains... Neloth had a point, it _was_ a gamble to involve Clavicus Vile in this, especially when it came to meddling in the affairs of another Daedric Lord... but what chance did Adalla have of bargaining with Hermaeus Mora on her own? Would he tempt her with knowledge she longed for, and trap her as well?

"The problem with that path, however, is that as far as I've discerned, there are no shrines to Clavicus Vile in Solstheim," Neloth was saying with a frown. "I'm not even certain if there's one in Skyrim, or Morrowind; if there are, then word of their existence hasn't reached the shores of Solstheim."

Adalla's heart sank, and she shot Neloth a harsh look. "If there aren't any shrines, then why did you get my hopes up?!" she snapped angrily.

He gave her a patronizing look in turn. "I said I'm not _certain_, my dear; that doesn't mean there _aren't_. There may be. If there are, I have no idea where they'd be." He crossed his arms and was silent for a moment longer. "As far as I know, however, there is definitely no such shrine in Solstheim. I'd be willing to bet my Black Book on that."

The high elf sighed. His Black Book offered a means to enter Apocrypha directly, and take the chance to speak with Hermaeus Mora directly... in a way, it was the quickest path, and yet it was the most dangerous as well...

"I don't suppose people would know where to start looking, would they...?" she muttered. "For a shrine to Clavicus Vile, I mean...?"

"Afraid not. I'm fairly certain you'd have to leave Solstheim for such an investigation, however. Maybe Skyrim would have the answer you seek." Neloth uncrossed his arms and looked at Adalla. "I'll see what I can figure out here. I'll use my Black Book to try and find the one your irritable friend had before it vanished; with luck, Hermaeus Mora will see fit to return it to Tamriel soon, though I wouldn't hold out hope, were I you. In the meantime, perhaps you'd prefer to search for a shrine to Clavicus Vile?"

"Be honest with me, Neloth... how good do you think my chances are of successfully working out a bargain with Hermaeus Mora himself?" Adalla asked quietly. "It's the fastest path, and..."

He regarded her for a moment longer. "Exceptionally slim," he finally said. "He has all manner of knowledge hoarded away. I have no doubt in my mind that he knows something you don't, something you'd like to know... something he would tempt you with, in an attempt to remain in Apocrypha forever." He glanced back at the Black Book. "Such as your friend's past."

She felt her heart seize a little. Oh, she knew her conviction would waver were such an offer dangled in front of her... "I'll... look into Clavicus Vile, then... hope for some better luck on that front."

"Yes, I think that's best," Neloth agreed.

"So, I suppose... it's back to Skyrim with me..." she said, heart falling a bit. She hadn't hoped to return yet. Not without Mia. Not so soon after...

"I'll send you a letter via courier, should I learn anything on my end," Neloth offered, noting her tone of resignation. "Though I wouldn't hold my breath, were I you."

"I... thank you, Neloth. I just hope this search isn't fruitless..."

* * *

_'Your aid is no longer necessary,'_ came the smug voice of Miraak in the back of Vernanye's mind.

_Oh?_

_'The so-called Dragonborn has found herself trapped in Apocrypha,'_ he replied. _'Now, none remain to threaten my return to Solstheim.'_

_Oh, so even the 'great' First Dragonborn thought his return would be threatened by a 'pretender',_ she mused. _She wasn't quite so powerless as you made her out to be, then?_

She wasn't sure if it was just the wind that threatened to blow out the small campfire she'd set up, or if Miraak had somehow extended his will beyond the boundaries of realms to express his displeasure with her words.

_Touch a nerve, did I?_

_'It does not change the fact that you are no longer obsolete to-'_

_What of her friend, then? Do you mean to tell me she's been dealt with, too?_

She sensed the pause in Miraak's gloating, and smirked a little at it.

_'What friend?'_

_Mia does not travel alone in Solstheim. You apparently held her friend under sway... Adalla is her name._

_'I don't know who... ah. Yes, the name is... familiar. The pretender mentioned her.'_

Vernanye's smirk grew a bit more. _You don't truly think she's going to just... ignore Mia's disappearance, do you? No, I believe she'll try and free Mia from Apocrypha. And what then?_

_'No one is so clever as to defy Hermaeus Mora in his own realm,' _Miraak practically spat.

_You've never had the honor of witnessing the power of persuasion Adalla possesses, then. And besides, who's to say Mia won't escape Apocrypha on her own? There are far too many uncertainties with your assumption that the threat is indeed removed. Wouldn't you rather have a contingency plan, just in case things don't go the way you want them to?_

The fact that he didn't shoot Vernanye's words down immediately meant that he was giving serious consideration to them. It also meant that she had likely won that particular verbal battle.

_'I trust this... 'contingency' of yours is not weak,'_ he finally replied. _If I so much as consider it to be, I shall find you and kill you myself once I return to Solstheim.'_

_Duly noted._

She felt the mental link sever, and sighed wearily.

She still had no plan. She still had no idea how she would deal with the threat that Mia - and now, Adalla - posed to Miraak's return. She was very fortunate that Miraak hadn't seen fit to linger a moment longer, hoping to find traces of her plan... or lack thereof.

Contracting vampirism was still highest on her list right now, however. Being able to ignore the biting cold of Solstheim would be a considerable boon in the search for a contingency.

Someone or something weak enough to be subjugated by a vampire, yet powerful enough to defy a Dragonborn... Vernanye wasn't sure such a being existed, but she wasn't going to give up searching for such.

* * *

_The snap of a whip made the young Mia start, even if it didn't touch her. She could only assume someone else was being intimidated by the sound of-_

_"You worthless little girl," the slaver hissed. This time, Mia felt the whip snap at the back of her right leg. She bit back the urge to cry out; she'd learned by now that if she made a sound, it would only encourage the slaver to keep striking her. She still felt the pain, though. "I don't recall giving you permission to-"_

_She turned her attention to the slaver, allowed him to see the defiance in her eyes. She noticed his own gaze contorted to one of annoyance, and also noted that his grip on the whip's handle tightened. She hadn't worked up the courage to start back-talking the slaver yet; she feared for her life if she did. And yet, as of late, it seemed as if her defiant nature, while earning her particularly special - and malicious - attention from the slaver, had also caused him to actually strike her less and less..._

_Was he starting to respect her resilience?_

_"Hmph." He snapped the whip in her general direction, the tip leaving a mark on the ground less than a foot from her. He kept an eye on her as he did it, and narrowed his eyes when she didn't so much as flinch at the sound this time. "The harder I try to break you, the tougher you become," he muttered. "It would be admirable... were it not troublesome for a slave."_

_She wanted to respond, but wasn't sure what to say. She didn't dare speak her mind, that was for certain; he still held the whip, after all. One wrong word would be all it took to suffer its - and his - wrath._

_"In any case, I don't recall giving you permission to rest," he finally continued. "If the other slaves see you, they may become bolder and try to mimic you. We can't have that, now can we?"_

_"Yer just scared yer gonna lose yer job," she finally said._

_He laughed at her, and the whip snapped less than an inch from her foot. "What I'm 'scared' of is none of your concern... but a handful of defiant slaves is far from what I'm terrified of," he retorted. "Well, seeing whereas you no longer flinch or react to the whip, perhaps it's time I take an alternate approach to this..."_

_She was tempted to ask, but rapidly found she didn't need to: she watched as he flung his arm out to the side, causing the whip to lash out... toward another slave. She widened her eyes as the whip wrapped around their arm, wanted to protest as the other slave was dragged forcibly toward the slaver and toward her._

_The slaver caught the slave by the collar, unraveled the whip from around his arm, then shoved him to the ground. "We'll give this slave a break from his own duties, so as to encourage you to do your own," the slaver growled. "Of course, if you don't do your work..." He brought the whip down on the man, causing him to cry out in pain._

_Mia grit her teeth, felt her hatred for the slaver boiling over. This was too much. She could take whatever he threw her way, but dragging another person into the matter? It was cruel. It was hateful. It was..._

_"Coward," she snarled, hands balling into fists._

_"What did you just call me?" the slaver hissed, arm frozen over his head as he prepared to strike the other slave once more._

_"Ya heard me," she spat._

_"I was wondering if you had the gall to say it again."_

_"Fine. Yer a coward."_

_He spat on her, then brought the whip down on her. She bit her lower lip, doing her best to smother her cries. "What would you know of 'cowardice', slave?" he snapped angrily. "You, who tried to run away from this life we so graciously give you?" His arm paused, then he turned the whip on the other slave once more. The man's cries and whimpers seemed to fuel the slaver's disdain for Mia, as well as further inflame his present fury._

_What he didn't count on, however, was the young girl letting loose a cry that conveyed her rage, then seizing his right arm and trying to hold it in place. He blinked in surprise, then slowly lifted the arm into the air, the young girl still dangling from it. "Let go of me," he hissed at her._

_Mia spat in his face once more, holding onto his arm for dear life. If she let go, he would either beat her numb, or the man would probably suffer countless injuries, if not die._

_The slaver's hand shot out and seized her neck. "I said, LET GO," he growled._

_Both the slaver and Mia were surprised when he shook from a sudden impact from behind. He looked behind him, and growled in annoyance._

_A third slave had apparently witnessed the entire scene, and watching Mia's defiance had likely emboldened her... for the wooden handle of the rake she'd been tasked with using had been broken across his back. She shrank back as the slaver looked at her, and her gaze flicked to Mia, who gave her a silent look of approval._

_"You will both pay for your defiance," the slaver said quietly, but there was no denying the fury in his tone. "You," he added, jerking his head toward the third slave, "will drop what remains of the rake, and your punishment will be light in comparison to-"_

_He roared in agony as the sound of metal impacting his body was audible to all present, and his attention turned to the prongs of another rake, this one buried in his side. He was starting to bleed now, but it wasn't that that made him look as if he was starting to panic a little... it was the fact that a fourth slave had inflicted the wound upon him._

_As the fourth slave withdrew the rake and readied another swing, the slaver tightened his hold on Mia's neck, causing her to choke a bit. "You will all stop this madness, or I will snap this little girl's neck in-"_

_The fourth's rake once again buried itself into his side, digging far deeper into the first wound. The third's broken rake simply struck the slaver in the other side. Even the second slave, who had been recovering from the whip strikes he'd been given in Mia's place, was clambering to his feet._

_"Let her go," all three said at the same time._

_Mia's consciousness swam in and out now, but for as long as she maintained consciousness, she was aware that the slaver was being attacked by the other three slaves... then a fourth... then a fifth. She was also faintly aware of the slaver calling out for help, though the cry seemed to do nothing but usher more slaves to the scene, each with a tool of some sort in their hands._

_She felt his fingers release her neck a split-second before she blacked out._

* * *

The memory... it was familiar to Mia, but why...? Why couldn't she think of the reason? Why was she having such difficulty concentrating in the first place...?

"Hmm..." The sound was uttered by a voice that was familiar to her now... but who...? "She seems to be regaining her mind. Do suppress it again."

She blinked as other, more recent memories came back to her. Hermaeus Mora. Apocrypha. Those bizarre, tentacled things that served Miraak. Her hand slowly reached back for her bow.

Her body was rocked by shockwaves, and she was knocked to her knees by them. She glanced up to see who or what was causing them, and found that two of the tentacled things were, once again, bombarding her with golden shockwaves of energy. She wanted to protest, but found her mind was becoming muddled once more. The last lucid thought she had was that these... _things_ were the cause.

Then her mind was her own no longer, and she lost track of everything she began to do from that point forth.

* * *

Adalla couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in the bed she'd been provided upon the Northern Maiden, below decks, but whether it was the waves crashing against the hull of the ship, or knowing that she was returning to Skyrim alone, something kept her awake. She was tired - or told herself she was, anyway. She wanted sleep; she probably _needed_ it. And yet, it eluded her... just like the answer to the question 'how will I save Mia?'.

With a heavy sigh, Adalla sat up in the bed. That was probably what was bugging her the most, such that she couldn't sleep. Knowing that she'd left Solstheim, even temporarily, without Mia. Knowing that she'd been saved by Mia at least a few times now, and yet now that she had the chance to repay the favor at least once, she couldn't find a way to do so. Knowing that the last meaningful interaction she'd had with Mia had been an argument... that she'd been rather cold toward the woman she thought of as her best friend and partner.

Her feet swung over the side of the bed and rested on the wooden floor. Was it really necessary to know everything about Mia's past, as Vernanye had suggested outside Windhelm? She had been ecstatic to see Mia again at the Earth Stone, just as Mia had clearly been overjoyed to see her. Was that not an example of friendship in and of itself? The more she thought about it, Mia had the greater tendency to ramble on and on about adventures she'd been on, ruins she'd been in... but what had Adalla shared with Mia about her own past?

That thought seized Adalla's mind, and refused to let go. Neither woman knew much about the other's past, and until recently, it hadn't been of great importance to either one... yet Adalla was suddenly the one being pushy, wanting to know more. The only things Mia knew about the high elf was that she was formerly of the Thalmor, that she had a way with words, as well as a mace and shield, that she'd never been on a proper adventure until Nchardak, and that the now-deceased Khajiit named En'zhar had wanted her dead for some reason.

There was still so much more Adalla hadn't shared with Mia. Mia, in contrast, had spoken freely of past endeavors throughout Skyrim. In a way, Adalla knew more about Mia than she realized.

She hugged her knees to her chest, shuddered a bit at the realization. She'd been so _selfish_ recently... and now, she had no idea if she'd ever see Mia again. That bitter thought brought moisture to Adalla's eyes, and she closed them slowly. She had no idea if she'd ever have the chance to apologize to Mia, to tell her that her past wasn't truly so important as to jeopardize their friendship... that she just wanted things to be the way they had been before she'd become so selfish.

She wasn't praying to any god in particular, but Adalla was nonetheless praying that she would find a way to save Mia. Little else came to the front of her mind now; chief among those other thoughts were that Clavicus Vile _might_ be able to help her with this matter... but she didn't even know where to find a shrine to-

_"Aw, how touching."_ The voice echoed in Adalla's head, made her jump and look around in a panicked manner. _"A friend wants to save another friend, but can't."_

"Who-"

_"The queen of Wayrest,"_ the voice said sarcastically. _"Oh no, wait, the Emperor of Tamriel!"_

Adalla blinked in disbelief. It was obvious sarcasm... so who was it, in truth? Someone she should know?

_"You've only been hoping I can help you for quite some time now,"_ the voice continued in a chiding tone. _"Ingrate. Maybe I'll leave you to-"_

"There's no... Clavicus Vile?" she whispered.

_"Oh, very good. Do you want a prize?"_ he asked. _"Maybe a pat on the back? Or on the head? I don't know what you elves like best for stating the obvious..."_

His attitude was definitely not something she was particularly fond of, but even so... "How are you able to...?"

_"Well, let's see... unlike your little 'gods', I actually listen whenever people want my help with something. How else would I make these delightful little bargains with your lot?"_

"So I don't need to visit your shrine...?" she asked in disbelief.

_"Whatever gave you -that- impression?" _he said; she could almost imagine him shaking his head at her. _"I can speak with you for a brief time from afar, but if you wish to actually make a deal, it has to be at my shrine. Luckily for you, there's one in Skyrim. Just one. In some desolate hole in a corner of the region no one even cares about anymore."_

"Where?!" she asked quickly.

_"Have some patience, you little... I was getting there! I can see why no one likes you high elves... so demanding."_

She was of a mind to protest, but the fact that she'd tried to guilt Mia into sharing her past still hung in her mind a bit, and kept her silent. He was right, in a way.

_"As I said, some desolate hole in Skyrim. People call it Haemar's Shame. I call it my... summer? Winter? I can't think of any season in which I'd ever think 'so hey, I hear Skyrim's pleasant this time of year!', so I can't really say 'my seasonal home in Skyrim'... actually, I don't really even call it anything, other than Haemar's Shame. Well, and 'desolate hole'."_

"And where do I find...?" Her voice faltered, then trailed.

_"Easiest way is to head south from some ghost town called Ivarstead. Somewhere on the road south of there, I don't know."_

Ivarstead. Her heart leapt in her chest. She was familiar with the location, and thus somewhat familiar with the area. She'd find it, she knew she would.

_"Much as I'd like to keep talking with you, this sort of long-range communication isn't easy to maintain. We'll speak again once you reach my shrine, where I won't have to waste my precious time and energy- I mean struggle to maintain this connection."_

"Ass."

_"You'd do well to mind your tone, girl. Let's not forget that I can just as easily shoot down whatever bargain you want right here, right now, no further questions asked."_

She definitely didn't like his attitude, but she was still willing to put up with him if he could help her save Mia.

_"That's what I thought. Remember, Haemar's Shame. Oh, and a word of warning: the cave preceding my shrine may or may not be littered with other people who hate outsiders. Just so you're not expecting some easy stroll."_

She sighed softly. A catch. There was _always_ a catch to these 'good news' type situations...

_"Still, I don't think you're so inept as to perish at their hands."_

"I thought you weren't going to maintain this communication with me?"

_"It's fun to goad- I mean I felt like warning you of possible danger, that's all. And now, I shall bid you farewell... for now."_ All fell silent in her mind now, and she was fairly certain the mental link had been broken.

Clavicus Vile. He had a shrine in Skyrim, south of Ivarstead. The potential of danger getting to the shrine was most definitely there, but at least Adalla now knew she could and would find a possible solution.

She stopped herself. She _assumed_ so, anyway. Would he _really_ help her once he found out she wanted to meddle in Hermaeus Mora's affairs...?

* * *

_**A.N.** - You know that moment where you suffer writer's block for an annoying amount of time, then have a sudden spurt of inspiration, start writing... and then suffer writer's block again for another period of time?_

_Yeah, that's what happened with this chapter. Same with the fifth chapter of All In, which I have started writing. Still stuck on how to continue writing the next chapter of All In, but this one wasn't quite so elusive, fortunately._

_The idea to involve Clavicus Vile was sort of a 'what if...' situation. I saw no method of Adalla getting to Apocrypha in a reasonable amount of time - or rather, reaching Mia in that same period of time. I did toy with a few other notions, but then it hit me: who better to interfere in the affairs of a Daedric Prince than another Daedric Prince? My options felt pretty limited when I started thinking that way, though, and in the end, all they could do was provide Adalla with the means to enter Apocrypha on her own terms, and it couldn't be Hermaeus Mora for obvious reasons._

_I figured 'why not the Daedric Prince who strikes bargains with mortals all the time?'. I'll probably have a lot of fun writing out what transpires next._

_I kind of feel as if I've captured Clavicus Vile's personality in this chapter pretty well, and yet simultaneously, I feel as if it's off somehow..._

_Another glimpse of Mia's past. I hope I don't need to explain what happened to the slaver. :P Will there be any repercussions for Mia and the other slaves? Well... you'll find out._

_Non-story related stuff!_

_So Warlords of Draenor is drawing very, very close very, very quickly. I've resubscribed to World of Warcraft so as to see what it's like. I'm excited and antsy, mostly because it's new content - something WoW has been lacking for over a year now. I quit playing back in the spring because it had just become so tedious and boring and mind-numbingly dull. I'll give WoD a once-through, level to 100, check out various aspects of the expansion, and see what my opinion of the game is once I've had a chance to sample said aspects. I do know this much: if WoD ends up a flop in my eyes, as Cata and MoP did, I'm done with WoW for good, and no future expansion will change my mind._

_I haven't played Skyrim recently. I haven't done much Skyrim-based stuff, period. I occasionally pop in on Nexus Mods to browse those, but over the past month, there have been... maybe two or three uploaded add-ons that have caught my attention and made me think 'I should download this one'. None of them, however, have prompted me to actually play Skyrim again. I think at this point, I'm just waiting for some amazing quest mod... I'd make my own, but there are various reasons I won't fall back on that - chief among them is that I'd know EXACTLY how the quest mod ends, and thus the potential of any surprise/plot twists would be completely wasted for me! :P_

_With this chapter up, I have begun working on Chapter 8. I'll keep trying to break through the writer's block holding me back on All In, as well, but so far, it's not been easy on me..._

_-Spiritslayer_


End file.
